Wednesday marks the 35th anniversary of the ABC sitcom “Coach,” as it was released on Feb. 28, 1989.
With nine seasons and 200 episodes, according to TV Guide, “Coach” became an iconic show for the network — and its primary cast have gone on to have successful careers in their respective industries.
So where have the principal cast been since the show ended in 1997?
Craig T. Nelson (Hayden Fox)
Remembered as the fictional football coach, Coach Fox, Craig T. Nelson already had a storied career prior to the show’s airing, as he previously starred in “Silkwood” and the first two “Poltergeist” films, per TV Insider.
After the show’s ending, Nelson appeared in several different movies, most notably voicing Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible in “The Incredibles” movies and appearing as — ironically — a coach for the main characters in “Blades of Glory.”
In addition, Nelson returned to TV in 2000 and starred in the CBS crime drama, “The District” — which, according to TV Insider, went on for four seasons and totaled 89 episodes.
Nelson is currently 79 years old.
Shelley Fabares (Christine Armstrong)
Portraying Christine Armstrong, Fox’s fiancé turned wife, Shelley Fabares also had a notable portfolio before getting on “Coach.”
Her career took off when she acted as Donna Reed’s daughter on the sitcom “The Donna Reed Show,” afterward getting the limelight as Elvis Presley’s girlfriend in three separate films, reported 1819 News.
After “Coach,” Fabares mostly disappeared from the spotlight; and since 2006, per TV Insider, she has since not appeared in another project.
She is currently married to actor Mike Farrell and turned 80 years old last January, according to 1819 News.
Jerry Van Dyke (Luther Van Dam)
Known in the sitcom as assistant coach Luther Van Dam, Jerry Van Dyke — compared to his brother, Dick Van Dyke — had a quiet career.
Deseret News previously reported that Jerry Van Dyke made appearances on shows such as “Perry Mason” and “The Judy Garland Show” before later in life achieving the “Coach” role, providing him with four Emmy nominations.
Shortly after appearing on the ABC series, “The Middle,” Van Dyke died in January 2018 due to complications from a car crash years before. He was 86 at the time, as Deseret News reported at the time.
Bill Fagerbakke (Michael ‘Dauber’ Dybinski)
Portraying an assistant coach called Michael “Dauber” Dybinski, Bill Fagerbakke developed into a star over the years — specifically a voice-over star.
In between acting on “Coach,” Fagerbakke voiced characters on animated shows such as “Gargoyles” and “Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.” After the show ended, he went on in 1999 to be the voice of Patrick Star for the hit animated show “SpongeBob SquarePants,” according to The Movie Database.
Despite being prominently known as a voice actor, Fagerbakke has also acted in live-action projects including “How I Met Your Mother” and the Netflix drama “Unbelievable.”
Fagerbakke is currently 66 years old, per The Movie Database.
Clare Carey (Kelly Fox)
Acting as Coach Fox’s young-adult daughter, Kelly, Clare Carey has made a career acting in all sorts of television shows.
According to TV Insider, Carey has appeared in dozens of guest roles in shows such as “NCIS,” “Boston Legal” and “CSI.” She is currently 56 years old.
Kenneth Kimmins and Georgia Engel (Howard and Shirley Burleigh)
Playing the athletic director and wife, respectively, Kenneth Kimmins and Georgia Engel each had their own unique careers.
Kimmins, having appeared on shows including “Dallas” and “The Love Boat,” moved away from “Coach” and took on a few roles before retiring from acting in 2000, per Rewind Magazine.
Engel, who previously starred on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and continued acting for much longer, notably ended up years later in a recurring role on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” She continued appearing in different types of stage and film and TV projects until her death in 2019 — due to unknown causes, reported The New York Times.