Ty Burrell Could End His On-Screen Hiatus With a 'Coach' Reboot for NBC
Ty Burrell is developing a Coach reboot for NBC and plans to star, marking a possible return to on-screen acting after Modern Family.
Ty Burrell’s next chapter may come from an older TV playbook. The Modern Family star is developing a new version of Coach for NBC, with plans to star and executive produce if the project moves ahead.
The big change for '90s sitcom fans
The headline development is simple: Coach is back in play, and Ty Burrell is at the center of it. Burrell, 59, is working on a reboot of the sitcom for NBC and intends to appear on screen in the series while also serving as an executive producer.
For now, the project is in development, so the change affects fans as a potential return rather than a scheduled premiere. The new take is described as the story of a legendary coach who goes back to Minnesota to rebuild his alma mater’s basketball program and reconnect with his community.
Why 'Coach' still matters
The original Coach ran on ABC for nine seasons, from 1989 to 1997. Craig T. Nelson starred as Hayden Fox, the head football coach at a fictional university in Minnesota, and the cast also included Jerry Van Dyke, Bill Fagerbakke and Shelley Fabares.
This is not the first time NBC has looked at bringing the property back. The network came close to reviving Coach in 2015 with a sequel series, and Nelson would have returned to the role, but NBC ultimately chose not to continue with that version.
Why Burrell’s involvement stands out
If Burrell’s role is confirmed, it would be his first on-screen acting job since Modern Family ended in 2020. He played Phil Dunphy on the sitcom for 11 seasons, from 2009 to 2020, and won two Emmy Awards for the role.
After Modern Family wrapped, Burrell left Los Angeles and moved to Utah full time. His work since then has included voice performances on Duncanville and Rick and Morty rather than a live-action TV part.
That is part of what makes this reboot noteworthy for viewers who followed 1990s and 2000s television. Burrell had already signaled that he wanted to step back in front of the camera, saying last August that he was "itching" to return to on-screen acting. If Coach moves forward, that comeback could arrive through a sitcom title that already has deep roots with an earlier TV generation.
