When a former pro faces fourth-and-long behind locked gates, can he turn a lineup of longshots into a comeback classic?
After Chicago Bears alum Jim Brandon returns home using a wheelchair and shut out of coaching, a visit to St. Charles juvenile correctional facility sparks an audacious play: build a real football team out of kids everyone has counted out. As Jim earns their trust and they find their rhythm, the rematch waiting downfield becomes a shot at pride, purpose, and a scoreboard that finally tilts their way.
Original Title: Coach of the Year (1980) | AKA: Fourth Down Behind Bars, The Coach
⭐️ STARRING
Robert Conrad (Jim Brandon)
Erin Gray (Paula DeFalco)
Red West (Superintendent Turner)
Daphne Maxwell Reid (Merissa Lane)
Ricky Paull Goldin (Andy DeFalco)
David Raynr, credited as David Hubbard (Munroe “Sweetlife” Johnson)
Alex Paez (Hector Estrada)
Radames Torres, credited as Radamus Torres (Effie “Peanut” Rodriguez)
Louis Carello, credited as Lou Carello (Eddie Lovella)
Dean Hill (McLeash)
Ed O’Bradovich (Himself)
Joneal Joplin (Coach Forester)
With “The Boys from St. Charles”: Howard A. Peters III, Calvin Bradford, José “Little Man” Navarro, Daniel Brown, Manuel Ortiz, Doug “Too Tall” Brown
🎬 CREW CREDITS
Directed by Don Medford (The Twilight Zone; The F.B.I.)
Written by Frank Abatemarco
Music by Mike Post (Magnum, P.I.; Hill Street Blues)
🎯 WHY WATCH?
Grit-and-heart sports drama with classic “build-the-team” momentum!
Robert Conrad goes full field general—chair wheels, steel will, and playbook smarts!
Underrated TV-movie time capsule with real-deal football sequences by Andy Sidaris! 🏈
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