Jerry Van Dyke Biography

The younger brother of actor Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Van Dyke was a journeyman actor before scoring a TV hit with Coach.

Jerry Van Dyke joined the Air Force in 1952, where he entertained troops and spent his spare time honing his comedy chops. After more years doing stand-up comedy, he began to appear on TV — most notably as his brother’s brother on The Dick Van Dyke Show. He starred in the short-lived My Mother the Car, a comedy series with the bizarre premise that his dead mother’s spirit had inhabited an old-time jalopy. It ran one season, from 1965-66.

Jerry Van Dyke spent the next two decades bouncing around as a guest on shows like That Girl and The Love Boat before scoring his biggest hit with Coach. He played goofy and not-too-bright assistant football coach Luther Van Dam, with Craig T. Nelson playing head coach Hayden Fox. The show ran from 1989-1997, and Van Dyke earned four Emmy nominations as best supporting actor in a comedy series (1990-93).

In later years he had recurring roles on the sitcoms Yes Dear and The Middle. He died in 2018, two years after suffering debilitating injuries in an automobile crash.