Damon Wayans Jr. Returns to ‘New Girl’ Tonight

Damon Wayans Jr., who was a cast member in New Girl’s pilot but had to leave the show after that when Happy Endings was given a surprise pick up for a second season in 2011, is returning to New Girl in tonight’s episode. The new episode, entitled “Coach,” is the start of a six-episode arc for Wayans.

Here’s Wayans explaining to E! Online why his character, Coach, is returning:

Coach is one of those guys who, when he gets into a relationship, he kind of disappears. So he’s been in a relationship for two years and they finally broke up and now he’s back and he’s hitting those single streets … Coach has been gone long enough to where things have changed substantially within the loft. Nick and Jess are a couple, that’s different. Schmidt isn’t even living here anymore, that’s different. Winston moved in, that’s different. So he’s trying to make it like old times but it has moved on, so he has to adapt.

While Wayans is coming back for six episodes, there are no plans for him to return full-time. He’s currently developing his own show for Fox, having sold a pilot called Man/Child about two single dads a month ago.

Damon Wayans Jr. Returns to ‘New Girl’ Tonight