Jonathan Coachman
Encyclopedia
Jonathan William Coachman (born August 12, 1972), also known as "The Coach", is a former professional wrestling color commentator
and authority figure. He is also a former college
basketball
player, and football
play-by-play announcer
. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment
, where he spent nine years as a commentator, interviewer, and occasional wrestler.
He is currently an anchor on ESPN First Take
and SportsCenter
on both ESPN
and occasionally on ESPN America. He also introduces updates on Mike and Mike in the Morning
on ESPN2
.
prospect. After two state basketball championships at McPherson High School in McPherson, Kansas
, Coachman moved across town to continue playing for McPherson College
. While at McPherson, Coachman's interests included participating in theatre
, serving as the sport
s editor for the school newspaper
, and doing play-by-play and color commentary
for the local football
and basketball radio
broadcasts.
In the mid-90s, Coachman did a brief stint as a server at Sirloin Stockade
in McPherson, KS. Coachman was also a sports reporter/anchor at KAKE-TV
in Wichita, Kansas
Coachman also starred in many instructional videos used for technical education classrooms of middle schools and high schools. One set of videos featured "Coach" instructing people on flight navigation and the basics of airplane
s. He also had a "boyfriend-in-a-box" modeled after him during college. Coachman also worked for local Kansas City
news station KMBC-TV
, where he was a correspondent for Larry King Live
s coverage of Owen Hart
's death in May 1999.
Coachman's adopted father is a retired United Methodist
minister.
He is currently married and resides in Southington, Connecticut
career as an interviewer, commentator, and presenter. His first appearance was on the December 23, 1999 edition of SmackDown!, where he interviewed The Rock. Coachman was also involved in occasional segments with The Rock, in which The Rock attempted to humiliate Coachman in any form possible, whether it was forcing him to sing, dance, or smile for the camera. The Rock also accused Coachman of performing rather lewd activities with farm or wild animals.
turn against Shane McMahon
on August 24, 2003 at SummerSlam
. After this he would have an on-screen role as the "lackey" to then General Manager of Raw, Eric Bischoff
. Coachman continued to work as a heel and later teamed up with his fellow WWE Heat
announcer Al Snow
in a storyline feud against the Raw announce team, Jerry Lawler
and Jim Ross
. This feud would even see the pair win the right to announce the main show from the Ross and Lawler at one point. Later, Coachman achieved a singles victory on pay-per-view at Backlash
, in 2004 by defeating Tajiri
(albeit with the assistance of Garrison Cade
). Coachman would go on to host the 2004 and 2005 Raw Diva Searches
. Later, Coach would gain his own column in the now defunct Raw Magazine ("Coach's Corner") and his own webcast on WWE.com ("CoachCast"). Coachman was officially added as the third member to the Raw broadcast team and signed a multi-year contract with WWE in 2005.
During October 2005, Coach was involved in an angle involving the McMahon Family publicly firing Jim Ross due to the actions of Ross's friend, Steve Austin
. The firing of Ross gave Coach the position of lead announcer on Raw. The storyline would culminate in a match at Taboo Tuesday
where Austin faced Coach in a match with both Austin's and Ross's jobs on the line. Though the match was originally scheduled to be Austin versus the Coach, Austin refused to participate because of issues he had with the storyline (the original story is said to have called for Austin to lose following a run-in by the returning Mark Henry
). World Heavyweight Champion
Batista was renamed the opponent to play up the SmackDown! vs. Raw storylines. On the October 31, 2005 edition of Raw, Batista came out and accepted the match only to be attacked by Coach's backup, the returning Goldust and Vader. At Taboo Tuesday, Batista faced off against Coach in a Street Fight. Vader and Goldust tried to interfere in the match, but Batista won. However, no mention of the Jim Ross stipulation was ever mentioned after the match.
Former ECW
announcer Joey Styles
soon replaced Coach in a move that became permanent despite Coach's on-air protestations that Styles' presence was temporary. Coach retained a prominent role on the Raw announcing team as the heel representative of a three-man booth with Styles, the play-by-play man, and Jerry "The King" Lawler
, the babyface color commentator
.
On the January 23, 2006 edition of Raw, Coach defeated Lawler to win the last Raw spot in the Royal Rumble match
via interference from the debuting Spirit Squad
. Coachman would enter seventh during the match only to be eliminated almost immediately by The Big Show
.
During the April 24 edition of Raw, after Coachman hosted a Divas bikini contest, Viscera
would come down to the ring and perform the Viscagra on Coachman. During the commercial break of that show, still in the ring, he quit in protest of his treatment on Raw. On the May 5 edition of Heat, broadcast partner Todd Grisham
announced that Coachman had quit, saying, "We've got announcers quitting left and right. It was Coach two weeks ago, Joey Styles this past week." On the May 29 edition of Raw, it was revealed that Mr. McMahon
had hired Jonathan Coachman under the new position of McMahon's Executive Assistant; to aid McMahon in the daily running of the Raw brand, and actually acted as the General Manager when the McMahons were absent. While Executive Assistant, Coachman, along with the McMahons, would feud with the reformed D-Generation X
, and also have issues with John Cena
. On June 18, 2007, Coachman was officially named Interim General Manager of Raw by the McMahon Family following the kayfabe death of Vince McMahon in a limo explosion.
On the August 6, 2007 edition of Raw, William Regal
became the new General Manager on the Raw brand
after winning an battle royal
featuring other participants from the Raw roster. As a result, Coachman was removed from his position as Interim General Manager and became Regal's new assistant. However, following a vicious kayfabe assault by John Cena on Regal during the September 3 edition of Raw, Regal had to be temporarily relieved of his duties as General Manager at which point Coachman was once again named interim General Manager of Raw until Regal was fit to resume his role. On the October 1 edition of Raw, Regal returned as General Manager which resulted in Coachman being once again demoted to his prior rank.
On the December 3, 2007 edition of Raw, Coach was in a No DQ Handicap match
with Carlito
against Hornswoggle, with whom he had been having problems. However, Hornswoggle had paid the APA
to protect him during the match. Coachman ended up being pinned by Hornswoggle after a Clothesline From Hell and a Tadpole Splash.
's new SmackDown! broadcast partner on January 4, 2008. He was replaced by Mick Foley
, however, at Backlash
on April 27.
In 2008, Coachman left World Wrestling Entertainment to begin a career with ESPN. In April 2009, Coachman was involved in a video with John Cena meeting up since his departure from the WWE. Cena made fun of Coach stating he is an "intern" on SportsCenter (this was when Coachman told Cena he now hosts SportsCenter). After agreeing to catch up with each other, Cena locked Coach out of the ESPN building with Coachman stating, "I know this was funny that last 9 years or so...but come on, man." In January 2010, The Rock was a special guest on SportsCenter, promoting his new movie The Tooth Fairy. The Coach was once again involved in a skit with The Rock, where he was mocked by him, and Coach invited him to be interviewed on the station.
professional football league. He worked on the second-team broadcasts with Matt Vasgersian
, Jim Ross
, Jerry Lawler
, and Dick Butkus
.
During the week of November 5, 2007, he appeared on Family Feud
with Ric Flair
, Batista, Mr. Kennedy, King Booker
, Queen Sharmell
, Layla
, Candice Michelle
, Maria
and Michelle McCool
.
In addition to his WWE assignments, Coachman called various sports events on College Sports Television, a cable and satellite network owned by CBS
. He also called college basketball for CN8
. In addition, Coachman served as the part-time play-by-play announcer for the WNBA
's New York Liberty
on the MSG Network
, as well as the studio host for New York Knicks
games. He also hosted the weekly MSG program MSG, NY. He now works for ESPN as anchor of ESPNews
as well as Sportscenter
as of February 2009.
Coachman also lends his voice talents to the video game Black College Football Xperience: The Doug Williams Edition.
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
and authority figure. He is also a former college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
play-by-play announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, where he spent nine years as a commentator, interviewer, and occasional wrestler.
He is currently an anchor on ESPN First Take
ESPN First Take
ESPN First Take is an American morning sports talk program on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The show was formerly known as Cold Pizza. The official switch was made on May 7, 2007. Two back-to-back two-hour episodes air each weekday from Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 a.m...
and SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
on both ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and occasionally on ESPN America. He also introduces updates on Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning is an American sports-talk radio show hosted by Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and simulcast on television, normally on ESPN2. If ESPN is broadcasting a live sporting event during the show's timeslot, Sportscenter will air on ESPN2, and the show's...
on ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
.
Early life
Before embarking on an announcing career in professional wrestling, Coachman was a highly scouted basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
prospect. After two state basketball championships at McPherson High School in McPherson, Kansas
McPherson, Kansas
McPherson is a city in and the county seat of McPherson County, Kansas, United States, in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,155. The city is named after Union General James Birdseye McPherson, a Civil War general...
, Coachman moved across town to continue playing for McPherson College
McPherson College
McPherson College was chartered in 1887 by the leaders of the Church of the Brethren. The college provides a career-oriented liberal arts education...
. While at McPherson, Coachman's interests included participating in theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, serving as the sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s editor for the school newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
, and doing play-by-play and color commentary
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the local football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcasts.
In the mid-90s, Coachman did a brief stint as a server at Sirloin Stockade
Sirloin Stockade
Sirloin Stockade is a family-style buffet steakhouse that was started in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, in 1966, and has grown into Stockade Companies, a multi-concept restaurant company. It is now based in Hutchinson, Kansas....
in McPherson, KS. Coachman was also a sports reporter/anchor at KAKE-TV
KAKE-TV
KAKE, channel 10, is an ABC-affiliated television station based in Wichita, Kansas. The station is owned by Atlanta, Georgia-based Gray Television...
in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
Coachman also starred in many instructional videos used for technical education classrooms of middle schools and high schools. One set of videos featured "Coach" instructing people on flight navigation and the basics of airplane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
s. He also had a "boyfriend-in-a-box" modeled after him during college. Coachman also worked for local Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
news station KMBC-TV
KMBC-TV
KMBC-TV virtual channel 9 is a television station affiliated with the ABC television network, located in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBC-TV is owned by Hearst Television and its studios are located on Winchester Ave. near Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The station's high guyed mast broadcast...
, where he was a correspondent for Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
s coverage of Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
's death in May 1999.
Coachman's adopted father is a retired United Methodist
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
minister.
He is currently married and resides in Southington, Connecticut
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1999–2008)
Coachman began his World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
career as an interviewer, commentator, and presenter. His first appearance was on the December 23, 1999 edition of SmackDown!, where he interviewed The Rock. Coachman was also involved in occasional segments with The Rock, in which The Rock attempted to humiliate Coachman in any form possible, whether it was forcing him to sing, dance, or smile for the camera. The Rock also accused Coachman of performing rather lewd activities with farm or wild animals.
Raw
The Coach made a heelHeel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
turn against Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
on August 24, 2003 at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2003)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 24, 2003 at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona...
. After this he would have an on-screen role as the "lackey" to then General Manager of Raw, Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. Coachman continued to work as a heel and later teamed up with his fellow WWE Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
announcer Al Snow
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
in a storyline feud against the Raw announce team, Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
and Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
. This feud would even see the pair win the right to announce the main show from the Ross and Lawler at one point. Later, Coachman achieved a singles victory on pay-per-view at Backlash
Backlash (2004)
Backlash was the sixth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 18, 2004 at the Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta and was a Raw brand-exclusive event...
, in 2004 by defeating Tajiri
Yoshihiro Tajiri
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently competing in SMASH as TAJIRI.-Early years :...
(albeit with the assistance of Garrison Cade
Lance Cade
Lance Kurtis McNaught was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade....
). Coachman would go on to host the 2004 and 2005 Raw Diva Searches
WWE Diva Search
The WWE Diva Search is a talent competition held by World Wrestling Entertainment. The first winner was Jaime Koeppe, but she did not receive a contract like subsequent winners of the contest. Other winners included Christy Hemme, Ashley Massaro, Layla El, and Eve Torres. In addition to the winners...
. Later, Coach would gain his own column in the now defunct Raw Magazine ("Coach's Corner") and his own webcast on WWE.com ("CoachCast"). Coachman was officially added as the third member to the Raw broadcast team and signed a multi-year contract with WWE in 2005.
During October 2005, Coach was involved in an angle involving the McMahon Family publicly firing Jim Ross due to the actions of Ross's friend, Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
. The firing of Ross gave Coach the position of lead announcer on Raw. The storyline would culminate in a match at Taboo Tuesday
Taboo Tuesday (2005)
Taboo Tuesday was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 1, 2005 at the iPayOne Center in San Diego, California. It was the second annual Taboo Tuesday event in which the fans were given the chance to vote on...
where Austin faced Coach in a match with both Austin's and Ross's jobs on the line. Though the match was originally scheduled to be Austin versus the Coach, Austin refused to participate because of issues he had with the storyline (the original story is said to have called for Austin to lose following a run-in by the returning Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
). World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
Batista was renamed the opponent to play up the SmackDown! vs. Raw storylines. On the October 31, 2005 edition of Raw, Batista came out and accepted the match only to be attacked by Coach's backup, the returning Goldust and Vader. At Taboo Tuesday, Batista faced off against Coach in a Street Fight. Vader and Goldust tried to interfere in the match, but Batista won. However, no mention of the Jim Ross stipulation was ever mentioned after the match.
Former ECW
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
announcer Joey Styles
Joey Styles
Joseph Carmine Bonsignore better known by his ring name Joey Styles, is an American professional wrestling play-by-play commentator and former professional in the field of advertising sales...
soon replaced Coach in a move that became permanent despite Coach's on-air protestations that Styles' presence was temporary. Coach retained a prominent role on the Raw announcing team as the heel representative of a three-man booth with Styles, the play-by-play man, and Jerry "The King" Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
, the babyface color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
.
On the January 23, 2006 edition of Raw, Coach defeated Lawler to win the last Raw spot in the Royal Rumble match
Royal Rumble (2006)
Royal Rumble was the nineteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 29, 2006 in the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida and featured talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
via interference from the debuting Spirit Squad
Spirit Squad
The Spirit Squad was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling that consisted of Kenny, Johnny, Mitch, Nicky, and Mikey. The team's ring personas were those of an all-male cheerleading squad....
. Coachman would enter seventh during the match only to be eliminated almost immediately by The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
.
During the April 24 edition of Raw, after Coachman hosted a Divas bikini contest, Viscera
Nelson Frazier, Jr.
Nelson Frazier, Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Mabel, Viscera, Big Daddy V, and King V. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
would come down to the ring and perform the Viscagra on Coachman. During the commercial break of that show, still in the ring, he quit in protest of his treatment on Raw. On the May 5 edition of Heat, broadcast partner Todd Grisham
Todd Grisham
Todd Grisham is an American presenter/announcer who is best known for his time in the WWE as a backstage interviewer, play-by-play commentator and occasional ring announcer...
announced that Coachman had quit, saying, "We've got announcers quitting left and right. It was Coach two weeks ago, Joey Styles this past week." On the May 29 edition of Raw, it was revealed that Mr. McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
had hired Jonathan Coachman under the new position of McMahon's Executive Assistant; to aid McMahon in the daily running of the Raw brand, and actually acted as the General Manager when the McMahons were absent. While Executive Assistant, Coachman, along with the McMahons, would feud with the reformed D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
, and also have issues with John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
. On June 18, 2007, Coachman was officially named Interim General Manager of Raw by the McMahon Family following the kayfabe death of Vince McMahon in a limo explosion.
On the August 6, 2007 edition of Raw, William Regal
Darren Matthews
Darren Kenneth Matthews , is an English professional wrestler, author and color commentator currently signed to WWE and competing on the SmackDown brand under the ring name William Regal. He is also known for his time in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Steven Regal...
became the new General Manager on the Raw brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
after winning an battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
featuring other participants from the Raw roster. As a result, Coachman was removed from his position as Interim General Manager and became Regal's new assistant. However, following a vicious kayfabe assault by John Cena on Regal during the September 3 edition of Raw, Regal had to be temporarily relieved of his duties as General Manager at which point Coachman was once again named interim General Manager of Raw until Regal was fit to resume his role. On the October 1 edition of Raw, Regal returned as General Manager which resulted in Coachman being once again demoted to his prior rank.
On the December 3, 2007 edition of Raw, Coach was in a No DQ Handicap match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
with Carlito
Carly Colon
Carlos Edwin "Carly" Colón, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by his ring name Carlito. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Entertainment , but was released from his contract on May 21, 2010. In his native Puerto Rico, he is known as both...
against Hornswoggle, with whom he had been having problems. However, Hornswoggle had paid the APA
Acolytes Protection Agency
The Acolytes Protection Agency , was a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Bradshaw and Faarooq. They wrestled for the American promotion World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment between October 1998 and March 2004....
to protect him during the match. Coachman ended up being pinned by Hornswoggle after a Clothesline From Hell and a Tadpole Splash.
Friday Night SmackDown!
Coachman became Michael ColeMichael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
's new SmackDown! broadcast partner on January 4, 2008. He was replaced by Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
, however, at Backlash
Backlash (2008)
Backlash was the tenth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 27, 2008 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland...
on April 27.
In 2008, Coachman left World Wrestling Entertainment to begin a career with ESPN. In April 2009, Coachman was involved in a video with John Cena meeting up since his departure from the WWE. Cena made fun of Coach stating he is an "intern" on SportsCenter (this was when Coachman told Cena he now hosts SportsCenter). After agreeing to catch up with each other, Cena locked Coach out of the ESPN building with Coachman stating, "I know this was funny that last 9 years or so...but come on, man." In January 2010, The Rock was a special guest on SportsCenter, promoting his new movie The Tooth Fairy. The Coach was once again involved in a skit with The Rock, where he was mocked by him, and Coach invited him to be interviewed on the station.
Personal life
Coachman and his wife Amy have two children, a daughter, Kayana, and a son, JJ. Amy is a pharmaceutical Representative for a company out of Ohio. Amy was a former college athlete, turned personal trainer.Other media
In 2001, Coachman was the sideline reporter for the XFLXFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
professional football league. He worked on the second-team broadcasts with Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a host for the MLB Network and has served as an announcer for NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympics, and on Fox Sports' MLB coverage...
, Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
, Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
, and Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...
.
During the week of November 5, 2007, he appeared on Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
with Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, Batista, Mr. Kennedy, King Booker
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
, Queen Sharmell
Sharmell Sullivan
Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman is an American professional wrestling valet and occasional wrestler - the wife of Booker T. She is best known for her work as Queen Sharmell with WWE until her release in 2007. She first came to prominence in the wrestling world as Paisley, a member of the World...
, Layla
Layla El
Layla El is an English dancer, model and professional wrestler of Moroccan and Spanish descent. She is employed by WWE as a WWE Diva and appears on the SmackDown brand as Layla...
, Candice Michelle
Candice Michelle
Candice Michelle Beckman-Ehrlich better known as Candice Michelle or just Candice, is an American model, actress, and professional wrestler best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment....
, Maria
Maria Kanellis
Maria Louise Kanellis, , or simply Maria, is a singer-songwriter, actress, model, and professional wrestler, best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment. Kanellis's career began as a contestant on the reality show Outback Jack in 2004...
and Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
.
In addition to his WWE assignments, Coachman called various sports events on College Sports Television, a cable and satellite network owned by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. He also called college basketball for CN8
Comcast Network
Comcast Network is a cable television station that is shown mostly in parts of Comcast Cable services in the Eastern part of the US. Viewed in four states and 20 television markets from New Jersey to Virginia on Comcast cable systems. The main focus of the network is Philadelphia although they...
. In addition, Coachman served as the part-time play-by-play announcer for the WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
's New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
on the MSG Network
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
, as well as the studio host for New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
games. He also hosted the weekly MSG program MSG, NY. He now works for ESPN as anchor of ESPNews
ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
as well as Sportscenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
as of February 2009.
Coachman also lends his voice talents to the video game Black College Football Xperience: The Doug Williams Edition.
In wrestling
- Wrestlers managed
- Garrison CadeLance CadeLance Kurtis McNaught was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade....
- Al SnowAl SnowAllen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
- Theme songsMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "What You Gonna Do" by Victor Reid (September 2003–April 2006)
- "Hard Hittin" by Homebwoi (WWE Wreckless IntentWWE Wreckless IntentThe album was originally slated for a January release, but due to heavy time constraints, the release date was pushed back to May. The first few hundred people who pre-ordered the album on sonymusicstore.com got a free booklet autographed, as well as a WWE ball keychain...
) (June 2006–April 2008)