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LOS ANGELES, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Damon Wayans Jr. will depart New Girl. The 32-year-old actor debuted as Coach on season one of the Fox comedy, and was made a series regular in season four. Wayans will not return for season five, reportedly to pursue other television offers.
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"I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to come back to New Girl in season three to reprise the role of Coach," he said in a statement to TVLine. "Working with this incredibly talented and funny cast and crew has been one of the best experiences of my career."
"We love Damon and are so lucky to have had him return for the past season-and-a-half," executive producer Liz Meriwether added. "We are working on crafting an exit for him that will leave the door open for many more returns."
New Girl premiered in 2012, and is in the midst of a fourth season. The series stars Wayans, Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield and Lamorne Morris as roommates Coach, Jess, Nick, Schmidt and Winston, and airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
Wayans is also known for portraying Brad Williams on ABC sitcom Happy Endings, which aired for three seasons before being canceled in 2013. He recently appeared in Someone Marry Barry and Let's Be Cops, and voiced Wasabi in Disney film Big Hero 6.
