Jerry Van Dyke, Luther the Football Assistant on 'Coach,' Dies at 86

Hollywood Reporter ^ | January 6, 2018 | Mike Barnes and Duane Byrge

[EdnaMode]

Sad news. Dick Van Dyke's younger bother has passed away shortly after Rose Marie.

[Dr. Sivana]

And we lost Mary Tyler Moore last year. Who’d’ve thught that Dick Van Dyke would have outlived all three of them?

[Leep]

They must have long life genes in that family?
I always liked the character’s he played.

[jjotto]

Could have been Gilligan, and could have been Barney Fife too, IIRC. Very entertaining guy. RIP

[TXBlair]

I liked him on Coach and on The Middle. The characters were pretty similar, lol.

[Michael.SF.]

What ‘role on Gilligan’s Island’ did he turn down? I assume it was the Gilligan role, but the article is not specific.

[ClearCase_guy]

I think Jerry had a fairly narrow range. But within that range, he was very good.

RIP

[SMGFan]

My Mother The Car Intro (Widescreen)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_3jcDKUBtQ

[SMGFan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kz3hfJweE0

[beaversmom]

I liked him as Dick Van Dykes’ stuttering, sleep walking brother on the Dick Van Dyke Show. My mom also reminded me he did a guest appearance on the early Andy Griffith Show.

[COBOL2Java]

That was the first show I thought of other than "Coach"...[smile]. I remember when it was on TV.

[jjotto]

He was also funny in My Mother the Car, bad as it was. The show is actually funnier now in retrospect.

[jjotto]

It was the Gilligan role. One story is that JVD or maybe his agent suggested Denver instead.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[fieldmarshaldj]

And Carl Reiner is still alive, too.

[Karl Spooner]

Andy Griffith always thought highly of him. He says he was better than his brother. I could never see that myself.

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[katana]

Gilligan. He instead accepted the lead in that all time classic, My Mother the Car. Not to say the two weren't equally silly premises. Just that Gilligan's Island had a real ensemble cast and some nice "attractions".

[lonevoice]

Mary Tyler Moore a year ago, Rose Marie last week, and now his younger brother. I wonder how much longer we’ll have 92-year-old Dick Van Dyke with us? He seems amazingly healthy, spry, and mentally sharp.

[Moonman62]

I think he would have mad a good Gilligan.