The 20 most iconic TV coaches of all time

Eric Taylor of Friday Night Lights is the ultimate television coach. He takes high school football seriously, but he takes the lives of his athletes more seriously, and ultimately he wants them to be good people. There’s a reason he’s captured so many hearts over the years. 

Glee’s Sue Sylvester is an icon, if there ever was one. She’s a terrible coach — her team has a toxic culture — and she spends more time harassing Mr. Schue than coaching her athletes. But she has incredible insults and great sweatsuits. 

Is there any coach you’d rather have in real life than Ted Lasso? He’s encouraging, caring, and positive. He sees the best in people, and he gives everything all he has, even if he’s not quite sure what he’s doing. He’s a great coach and a better role model. 

Though she’s not a fictional coach, she is an icon. Abby Lee Miller of Dance Moms made such an impact in the world of dance that she’s still talked about — arguably more than most of her former athletes. She could use some work as a person, but as a TV character, she’s fantastic. 

Being a sensei in the same world as Mr. Miyagi is no easy feat, but Johnny Lawrence made his mark in Cobra Kai. Johnny is a great example of learning from your past mistakes and moving on to be a better person. 

Coaches in teen dramas always have the most drama to deal with on their teams, and One Tree Hill’s Whitey Durham is no exception. He handles it well for the most part, and he reaches his athletic goals. He’s a memorable coach, for sure. 

Coach Montes of All American was a memorable coach because he didn’t always do what the audience expected of him. But he cared about his athletes, and it showed. Unfortunately, Montes’ time as coach was cut short as the actor who portrayed him, Kamar de los Reyes, died before the series ended. 

Coach’s Coach Hayden Fox is all about football. It’s all he cares about. But he proves that if you put your entire being into what you care about most, it can pay off. By the time it’s all said and done, Coach Fox is at the helm of an NFL team. 

Though we never actually see Coach coach anything on Cheers, it’s clear he was once a legend. Coach maintains a good relationship with his former athlete, Sam Malone, so he must’ve done something right. 

GLOW hasn’t gotten its due, so Cherry Bang hasn’t gotten hers, either. But she deserves some recognition. She knows what she wants and goes for it. She’s a hard worker, and she won’t let anyone stand in the way of her goals. 

Rick Mellor of The Goldbergs is a unique character. In many ways, he’s a stereotypical TV high school coach, but he’s more complex than the standard. He gets vulnerable with his students at times and even needs some coaching from them to get over his insecurities. 

Marty Daniels of Blue Mountain State has every characteristic you’d expect in a TV coach. He’s hyper-masculine and has relationship issues with both his son and his ex-wife. He’s a great coach, but he’s also super intense. He’s a former athlete himself. Despite his flaws, in some ways, he’s the stereotypical total package. 

Roger Philips was so well cast. Ted McGinley couldn’t look more like a high school coach if he tried. For that reason alone, this Happy Days character deserves a spot on this list. 

Homer Simpson is a man of many talents. He’s an iconic character, so whatever he does, he cements himself as an icon in that category. He once coached pee-wee football, and therefore, he is an iconic TV coach. 

All the best TV coaches also teach gym. Coach Steve of Big Mouth is an abject idiot, but that’s what makes him such a great character. And he couldn’t be better voiced by anyone other than Nick Kroll. 

Animated series are great because they allow characters to be extreme, and Coach Buzzcut on Beavis and Butt-Head is a great example. He’s the quintessential ruthless high school coach. And he’s got a fantastic name. 

Coach Fredricks of Freaks and Geeks has depth. He’s got plenty of typical high school coach personality traits, but he’s also got a soft, caring side that was atypical of TV coaches from the time the show was set. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see more from him and the rest of the cast. 

Coach Cutlip wasn’t on The Wonder Years much, but he made an impact any time he was on screen. Cutlip has often been compared to a robot, and his bizarre personality made him stand out. 

Even the TV characters who aren’t well-liked are important. Coach Sonski of Saved by the Bell clearly has a bias against females who want to participate in sports, but he eventually comes around, and that kind of perspective shift is good to see in entertainment. 

Glee’s Coach Beiste is another unique character with a good message. There’s no one type of person who likes sports, and it’s important that we remember that.