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Ernie "Coach" Pantusso is one of the bartenders at Cheers for the first three seasons, portrayed by the late Nicholas Colasanto. Coach was a former baseball player and coach before he eventually started working for Sam at Cheers. He is a bit dimwitted, yet full of life experience. The sweetest guy anybody could ever meet and a helper of all, Coach was a great and powerful character. He is Sam's retired baseball coach.

Towards the end of the third season, Colasanto became ill and frail and passed away. Since episodes were aired out of order, the remainder of episodes taped that season gave humorous explanations as to where Coach was, until his character was killed off at the beginning of Season 4. At that time, Coach’s bartending role was stepped in by a similarly naive, pen-pal of his, named Woody Boyd. In the series, Coach had a wife, Angela, who died before the series premiere, and a daughter, Lisa.

Absences

S3E18-Bar Bet

S3E19-Behind Every Great Man

S3E20-If Ever I Would Leave You

S3E21-The Executive's Executioner

S3E23-The Bartender's Tale

S3E24-The Belles of St. Clete's


Trivia

· He was burped by Carla in the episode Manager Coach. Nicholas Colasanto drank some water to do this on cue. Carla used her left shoulder to burp Coach.

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