NBC Eyes Coach Reboot with Modern Family Star

Published October 22, 2026

Another classic sitcom could be heading back to television, and this time Phil Dunphy might be trading real estate for a football field.

NBC is reportedly developing a reboot of the popular '90s sitcom Coach, with Modern Family star Ty Burrell attached to executive produce and potentially star in the series.

According to Deadline, Burrell intends to play the title character if the project officially moves forward. It could also mark his first major on-screen television role since Modern Family ended in 2020.

Burrell became one of television's most recognizable sitcom dads during Modern Family's 11-season run, playing enthusiastic real estate agent and self-proclaimed “cool dad” Phil Dunphy.

The original Coach aired on ABC for nine seasons from 1989 to 1997 and starred Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox, the head football coach at the fictional Minnesota State University.

The show was a major sitcom success during its original run, producing nearly 200 episodes and earning Nelson an Emmy for his performance.

Interestingly, this isn't the first attempt to bring Coach back.

NBC previously tried to revive the series in 2015, with Nelson returning as Hayden Fox. The network initially ordered episodes and even filmed one before ultimately abandoning the project.

So, more than a decade later, they're apparently heading back onto the field for another attempt.

There are still plenty of questions surrounding the new version, including whether any stars from the original series could appear and exactly how closely it will be connected to the '90s sitcom.

For now, the project is still in development, so it hasn't officially been ordered to series.

But putting Ty Burrell in charge of a football team already feels like a pretty easy sitcom pitch.

Phil Dunphy couldn't operate an iPad without creating a family emergency. Now imagine giving that man an entire football team.

What do you think of this article?

+1

0

+1

0

+1

0

+1

0