'Coach' actor Jerry Van Dyke, younger brother of Dick Van Dyke, dead at 86

Sara M Moniuszko | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Jerry Van Dyke, Coach Star and Dick Van Dyke's Younger Brother, Dead at 86: Report Jerry Van Dyke, the younger brother of actor Dick Van Dyke best known for his role on Coach, has died at the age of 86, according to TMZ

Jerry Van Dyke, the actor, comedian and younger brother of Dick Van Dyke, died Friday, according to the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. He was 86.

Van Dyke's wife, Shirley Ann Jones, told the newspapers his health had deteriorated since a car accident two years ago.

He passed away at a ranch in Hot Spring County, Ark., that he and his wife have owned for 35 years. The couple were alone together at the time of his death, the cause of which remains unknown.

Born in Danville, Ill., Van Dyke got his start in TV by making appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, the American sitcom that starred his real-life older brother. He also made appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Judy Garland Show.

In 1965, he played Dave Crabtree in NBC series My Mother the Car, which ran for a single season.

He was best known for his role as Assistant Coach Luther Horatio Van Dam on the TV series Coach, which earned him four Emmy Award nominations. The series ran from 1989 to 1997.

Van Dyke spoke with USA TODAY in 1990 about one of his Emmy nominations, joking about whether it marked a comeback in his career.



"Everybody talks about me making a comeback," he said. "I say, 'comeback from what?' This is as good as it's ever been."

He also spoke about his famous brother, who made an appearance on Coach the same year as his long-lost father.

"I was always known as Dick Van Dyke's brother and the guy that did My Mother the Car. Now people know me that never knew me before, that don't even know Dick. That's really a thrill," he said.

More recently, Van Dyke made several appearances as Tag Spence on the ABC series The Middle.