Jonathan Coachman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonathan Coachman
Coachman in 2003
Birth name	Jonathan William Coachman
Born	(1973-08-12) August 12, 1973 (age 51) McPherson, Kansas, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Amy Coachman ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	2
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Jonathan Coachman The Coach
Billed height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Billed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Billed from	Fort Worth, Texas
Trained by	Chris Benoit Shane McMahon
Debut	December 23, 1999

Jonathan William Coachman (born August 12, 1973), often called "The Coach", is an American sports expert and former professional wrestling personality. He is known for his work as an announcer and interviewer in WWE.

Early Life and Interests

Jonathan Coachman grew up in McPherson, Kansas. He was a talented basketball player in high school. His team won two state championships. After high school, he continued playing basketball at McPherson College.

While in college, Coachman explored many interests. He enjoyed acting in theatre. He was also the sports editor for his school newspaper. He worked as a commentator for local football and basketball radio shows. Before joining professional wrestling, he was a sports reporter in Wichita, Kansas.

Professional Wrestling Career

Jonathan Coachman is well-known for his time in WWE, which was formerly called the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He worked there in different roles for many years.

Starting as an Interviewer (1999–2003)

Coachman began his WWE career in 1999. His first job was as an interviewer. He also worked as a commentator and presenter. He would often interview wrestlers backstage.

In 2001, he also worked as a sideline reporter. This was for the XFL, a football league owned by WWE. He worked with famous WWE commentators like Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

Commentator and Assistant (2003–2006)

In 2003, Coachman changed his on-screen character. He became a "heel," which means a bad guy in wrestling stories. He started working as an assistant to Eric Bischoff, who was the General Manager of the Raw show.

Coachman often teamed up with another announcer, Al Snow. They had a storyline rivalry with the main Raw announcers, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler. At one point, Coachman and Al Snow even won the right to announce the main show.

Coachman also hosted the "Raw Diva Searches" in 2004 and 2005. These were contests to find new female WWE stars. He also had his own column and webcast. In 2005, he became a full-time member of the Raw broadcast team.

He was involved in a storyline where Jim Ross was fired. Coachman took over as the lead announcer on Raw. Later, another announcer, Joey Styles, replaced him. Coachman remained on the Raw announcing team. He was the "heel" voice alongside Joey Styles and Jerry Lawler.

Executive Assistant and Interim General Manager (2006–2007)

In 2006, Coachman got a new job. He became the Executive Assistant to Vince McMahon, the owner of WWE. In this role, he helped run the Raw brand. He often acted as the General Manager when the McMahons were not there.

Coachman was part of storylines against popular groups like D-Generation X and wrestler John Cena. In June 2007, he was officially named the Interim General Manager of Raw. This happened after a storyline where Vince McMahon was thought to have died.

Later, William Regal became the new General Manager. Coachman then became Regal's assistant. However, Coachman had to step in as Interim General Manager again when Regal was injured in a storyline.

In December 2007, Coachman had a wrestling match against Hornswoggle. Hornswoggle had paid the APA to protect him. Coachman lost the match. They had a rivalry where Coachman tried to get back at Hornswoggle. In one famous moment, Coachman tried to set off explosives under the ring. But Hornswoggle tricked him, and Coachman ended up covered in smoke.

SmackDown Commentator and Departure (2008)

In January 2008, Coachman moved to the SmackDown! show. He became a commentator there alongside Michael Cole. His contract with WWE ended in June 2008, and he decided not to renew it.

Return to WWE (2016–2021)

Coachman made special appearances for WWE starting in 2016. He was at a live event in Madison Square Garden. He also appeared on Raw and with The New Day. He announced that SportsCenter would cover WrestleMania 32.

In 2018, Coachman officially re-signed with WWE. He joined the Raw commentary team again. He worked alongside Michael Cole and Corey Graves. Later that year, he left the commentary team. He became the host for the pre-show panels before major pay-per-view events.

Coachman also hosted the pregame show for the 2020 XFL football league. He left WWE and the XFL in 2021.

Sports Broadcasting Career

ESPN (2008–2017)

After leaving WWE in 2008, Coachman started a new career with ESPN. ESPN is a major sports television network. From 2015, he began presenting highlights of WWE's best moments on ESPN. He also did weekly interviews with WWE wrestlers on SportsCenter. In October 2017, Coachman announced that his contract with ESPN had ended.

NBC Sports Group (2018–2021)

In 2018, Coachman became a play-by-play announcer for the World Long Drive Championship. This event is owned by NBC. He also works as a commentator for PGA Tour Live. This service provides extra coverage of golf tournaments.

Other Sports Roles

As of 2021, Coachman works for CBS Sports. He is also an analyst for the Professional Fighters League, which is a mixed martial arts promotion.

Personal Life

Jonathan Coachman has two children with his ex-wife, Amy. Amy was also a college athlete and works as a personal trainer.

Other Media Work

Besides his WWE and ESPN work, Coachman has called many other sports events. He has covered football, basketball, baseball, and softball for College Sports Television. He also called college basketball games for CN8.

Coachman has also worked as a play-by-play announcer for the WNBA's New York Liberty team. He was also a studio host for New York Knicks basketball games.

In 2012, he became the host of Coach & Company. This was a national radio show on ESPN Radio.

Coachman has also lent his voice to several video games. He has been a voice in games like Black College Football Xperience and several Madden NFL games.

Awards and Accomplishments

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Worst Television Announcer (2003, 2005, 2018)

See also

In Spanish: Jonathan Coachman para niños