Coach: NBC, "Modern Family" Star Ty Burrell Eyeing ABC Sitcom Reboot

Posted in: ABC, TV | Tagged: coach

Coach: NBC, "Modern Family" Star Ty Burrell Eyeing ABC Sitcom Reboot

NBC, Modern Family star Ty Burrell, and Daniel Libman & Matthew Libman are developing a series reboot of ABC's hit '90s sitcom Coach.

Published Wed, 21 Oct 2026 13:37:08 -0500
by Ray Flook
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NBC is hoping to recreate some classic ABC sitcom magic, with the network set to reboot the 1990s sitcom Coach. Executive-producing the project is Modern Family star Ty Burrell, who is also expected to take on the role originated by Craig T. Nelson in the original series. The new take stems from Daniel Libman and Matthew Libman, co-creators of Peacock's Mr. Throwback, Davis Entertainment and Universal Television.

Written by the Libman brothers, Coach centers on a legendary coach (Burrell) who returns home to Minnesota to rebuild his alma mater's basketball program and reconnect with his community. Stemming from Universal Television, part of Universal Studio Group, Burrell, Daniel Libman, and Matthew Libman would executive produce alongside John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment.

Created by Barry Kemp, the original ABC series ran for nine seasons, from 1989 to 1997. Nelson played Hayden Fox, the head coach of the fictional NCAA Division I-A Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles football team. As the series progressed, Coach Fox would move from college football to coaching the Orlando Breakers, a fictional National Football League expansion team.

The news of the reboot comes a little more than 10 years after NBC gave a 13-episode order for a sequel series that would have continued the original sitcom's universe and included the return of Bill Fagerbakke. Set 18 years after the series finale, the revival would've seen Nelson's Fox called out of retirement to take on the role of assistant coach for his son, Tim (Andrew Ridings), a coach at an Ivy League school in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, after filming one episode, NBC made the call not to move forward with the revival.

In July 2024, four months after the network had ordered a pilot, ABC passed on Forgive and Forget, which had Burrell starring and executive-producing. The multi-cam project was originally ordered to pilot at ABC back in March. No other castings besides Burrell's were announced. The official logline noted that the multi-cam project was set to focus on "perennial life of the party Hank (Burrell). After an unexpected diagnosis, Hank reconnects with his responsible adult son Ben in hopes of making new memories together."

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