Damon Wayans Jr. has opted to leave the Fox comedy "New Girl" for a second time in the show's four-season history.
Wayans, who plays Coach, chose not to renew his contract on the sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel. He returned to the show in season three after appearing in the pilot episode.
"I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to come back to 'New Girl' in Season 3 to reprise the role of Coach," Wayans told TVLine. "Working with this incredibly talented and funny cast and crew has been one of the best experiences of my career."
The 34-year-old left "New Girl" after the pilot because of his commitment to the ABC comedy "Happy Endings." He returned to the Fox series for a four-episode guest arc in season three when ABC cancelled "Happy Endings" and then signed a series regular, one-year contract for season four.
"We love Damon and are so lucky to have had him return for the past season-and-a-half," executive producer Liz Meriwether told TVLine. "We are working on crafting an exit for him that will leave the door open for many more returns, especially since Coach is our resolution to the upcoming 'Who's Jess' Baby Daddy?' storyline."
Deschanel, who plays Jess, recently announced she was pregnant with her first child, but her pregnancy will not be written into the show, according to TVLine.
