Coach Z

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{{about|main character}} {{for|[[Teen Girl Squad]] character|Olympic Man and Coach}}
 
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{{Infobox Main Character|img=Very Newest Coach Z.PNG|imgalt=He has more than two problems.|domicile=Coach Z's Locker Room|voice=[[Matt Chapman]]|debut=Where My Hat Is At?|3Dimg=CoachZ3D.png|3Dalt="Hey, watch where y'er pointin' that 3D!"}}
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{{Infobox Main Character|img=Very Newest Coach Z.PNG|imgalt=He has more than two problems.|domicile=Locker Room|voice=[[Matt Chapman]]|debut=Where My Hat Is At?|3Dimg=CoachZ3D.png|3Dalt="Hey, watch where y'er pointin' that 3D!"}}
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==Biography==
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'''Coach Z''' is the "{{w|Coach (sport)|coach}}" of the residents of [[Free Country, USA]], though it is unclear exactly which sports he coaches. While occasionally tiresome, and burdened with "more than two" socially awkward problems, he is always ready to offer encouragement and is rarely critical of anyone.  
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'''Coach Z''' is the "[[Wikipedia:Coach (sport)|coach]]" of the residents of [[Free Country, USA]], though it is unclear exactly which sports he coaches. He has a strong accent, based on an [[Wikipedia:Upper Midwest|Upper Midwestern]] [[Wikipedia:North Central American English|accent]] (though it is also sometimes simply nonsensical) which is sometimes difficult for other characters to understand. While occasionally tiresome, he is always ready to offer encouragement and is rarely critical of anyone. When giving advice, he tends to start with the phrase "You can't just rush into the score zone", which has lost its meaning through time. 
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Coach Z wears a blue and purple baseball cap and a large gold Z emblem around his waist. Nobody knows for sure whether his bright green color is his skin or a body suit. However, [[Middle School Variation#Baby Coach Z|baby Coach Z]] seems to be wearing footy pajamas in the email [[high school]], and on more than one occasion, Coach Z has mentioned his [[pants]]. In [[shapeshifter]], Coach Z referred to his outfit as his "sweaty sweat-sweats", which was seen to have at least one pocket, and in [[Fan Costumes 2017]] he is implied to have undressed.  His head is a white sphere with light gray circles for eyes. Coach Z [[Lack of Visible Body Parts#Coach Z's Face|lacks a visible nose and mouth]], but is able to talk, eat, and spit with ease. He has long arms and large feet, but very short legs.
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==Characterization==
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Coach Z can often be found at the [[gymnasium]] or [[race track]] (indeed, he seems to live in the accompanying [[locker room]]), providing vague coaching or similar involvement with various athletics. When giving advice, he tends to start with the phrase "You can't just rush into the score zone", which has lost its meaning through time. In addition to working as a coach, Coach Z works with [[Homestar Runner]] and [[Bubs]] as the apparent [[Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon|local law enforcement]] in [[Free Country, USA]].  Coach Z is also the janitor at [[the office]] where Homestar and [[Strong Bad]] work.  He is paid on hourly wage and is clearly jealous that Strong Bad is paid on salary. He has also spent time [[Blubb-O's Commercial|dressed as the Blubb-O's Drive-Thru Whale]] mascot. Coach Z owns four [[Wikipedia:Tony Award|Tony awards]], suggesting that he may have a background in theater. Despite his numerous jobs, Coach Z has trouble managing his money, causing his electricity to be shut off each year.
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Coach Z is a fan of hip-hop and rap music, particularly the {{w|Wu-Tang Clan}}.  He fancies himself a rapper as well: He released the single "[[These Peoples Try to Fade Me]]", which appeared on [[Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits]], his solo album, entitled "The Z Is All Up Ins", features the smash hit "[[New Boots|Hip Hop Dance]]", and his own rap song, "[[Rap Song]]" (featuring [[Peacey P]] and [[Tenerence Love]]).  Although his usual rapping prowess consists mainly of "count[ing] to two over and over again", as explained in [[nightlife]], he once had a very successful career during his days in the [[Two-o Duo]]. More recent works such as "[[Loading Screens]]" and "[[Fish Eye Lens]]" may indicate that his rap skills are starting to improve.
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[[File:Sketchbook 07-23-2009.png|thumb|Over the hill?]]
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Coach Z's [[Ages of Characters|age]] is somewhat ambiguous, though he typically is portrayed as older than characters like Strong Bad and Homestar: he appears to be grown up when Strong Bad was a kid in the email [[stand-up]] as well as appearing as an adult in 1974 in the 'toon [[Decemberween short shorts]]; in [[caffeine]], Strong Sad's slaps provoke him to cry out "I'm just an old man!"; in [[slumber party]], Strong Bad refers to him, [[Bubs]], and [[The King of Town]] as "older kids"; and while narrating an interaction between Coach Z and Bubs in [[narrator]], Strong Bad labels them both as "weird old men". 
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Coach Z and [[Bubs]] [[Bubs and Coach Z's Relationship|had a falling out]] at one point, as [[Fall Float Parade]] shows us; Bubs makes a "Coach Z, you jerk!" float for the parade, and Coach Z retaliates by saying "Serves him right, then" when [[Strong Mad]] steals [[Bubs Concession Stand|his concession stand]]. In the email [[narrator]], it was shown that they had made-up and returned to having boring conversations about [[Bubs's napkins]]. However, in [[Most In The Graveyard]], when it is implied that Coach Z fancies Bubs' sister, Bubs beats him up. In the same toon, it is also revealed that Coach Z and Bubs may actually be very distant cousins, although Bubs finds this hard to believe.
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==="More than two problems"===
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{{seemain|Coach Z's Problems}}
[[Image:Coach z butt.PNG|thumb|An unshaven Coach Z talking about his butt.]]
[[Image:Coach z butt.PNG|thumb|An unshaven Coach Z talking about his butt.]]
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As Coach Z himself is not afraid to admit, he's got [[Who Said What Now?|more than two problems]]. Despite being a coach, he doesn't know what a basketball is, as indicated in [[secret recipes]]. It has been strongly implied that he has a crush on [[Marzipan]], and he has occasionally made inappropriate comments about her; [[Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 5.0#Message 6|one occasion]] [[Marzipan's Answering Machine|on her answering machine]] when he was drunk, and another during the commercial break of the 4Tst annual [[Fall Float Parade]]. In [[diorama]], Coach Z even refers to Marzipan as his "gorgeous girlfriend". He also has difficulty pronouncing certain words, such as "job" (as shown in the "[[A Jorb Well Done]]" cartoon), instead pronouncing it as "jorb", "jaerb", or "jorearb".  In addition to his frequent mispronunciations, Coach Z also seems to have mental and gender confusion problems, as evidenced by the time he spent "talking to his parents" on a [[disconnected telephone]], and claiming to be a mother in [[garage sale]]. He has even stated on [[Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 8.0|one occasion]] that he sometimes "forgets what's real, and what's just in [his] head".  He has an apparent fixation with butts, and he seems to have a habit of [[butt-patting]]. He also has a slight obsession with ointments and body creams, like using 'Blue Star Ointment' to scare people in [[Halloween Fairstival]].  Many characters see him as a nuisance. Even Homestar treated Coach Z with contempt in [[Decemberween Short Shorts]], quickly refusing to allow Coach Z to come to his house for [[Decemberween]].
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As Coach Z himself is not afraid to admit, he's got [[Who Said What Now?|more than two problems]]. Despite being a coach, he doesn't know what a basketball is, as indicated in [[secret recipes]]. It has been strongly implied that he has a crush on [[Marzipan]], and he has occasionally made inappropriate comments about her; [[Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 5.0#Message 6|one occasion]] [[Marzipan's Answering Machine|on her answering machine]] when he was drunk, and another during the commercial break of the 4Tst annual [[Fall Float Parade]]. In [[diorama]], Coach Z even refers to Marzipan as his "gorgeous girlfriend". Coach Z also seems to have mental and gender confusion problems, as evidenced by the time he spent "talking to his parents" on a [[disconnected telephone]], and claiming to be a mother in [[garage sale]]. He has even stated on [[Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 8.0|one occasion]] that he sometimes "forgets what's real, and what's just in [his] head".  He has an apparent fixation with butts, and he seems to have a habit of [[butt-patting]]. He also has a slight obsession with ointments and body creams, like using 'Blue Star Ointment' to scare people in [[Halloween Fairstival]].  Many characters see him as a nuisance. Even Homestar treated Coach Z with contempt in [[Decemberween Short Shorts]], quickly refusing to allow Coach Z to come to his house for [[Decemberween]].
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When not working as a coach, Coach Z works with [[Homestar Runner]] and [[Bubs]] as the apparent [[Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon|local law enforcement]] in [[Free Country, USA]].  Coach Z is also the janitor at [[the office]] where Homestar and [[Strong Bad]] work. He is paid on hourly wage and is clearly jealous that Strong Bad is paid on salary. He has also spent time [[Blubb-O's Commercial|dressed as the Blubb-O's Drive-Thru Whale]] mascot. Coach Z owns four [[Wikipedia:Tony Award|Tony awards]], suggesting that he may have a background in theatre. Despite his numerous jobs, Coach Z has trouble managing his money, causing his electricity to be shut off each year.
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===Accent===
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{{seemain|Coach Z's Accent}}
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Coach Z has great difficulty pronouncing certain words, such as "job" (as shown in the "[[A Jorb Well Done]]" cartoon); the most commonly mispronounced sounds are long e (e.g. The Cheat/"The Chort") and the short o (job/"jaerb"), which both come out as an "or" or "aer".
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Coach Z is a fan of hip-hop and rap music, particularly the [[Wikipedia:Wu-Tang Clan|Wu-Tang Clan]].  He fancies himself a rapper as well: He released the single "[[These Peoples Try to Fade Me]]", which appeared on [[Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits]], his solo album, entitled "The Z Is All Up Ins", features the smash hit "[[New Boots|Hip Hop Dance]]", and his own rap song, "[[Rap Song]]" (featuring [[Peacey P]] and [[Tenerence Love]]).  Although his usual rapping prowess consists mainly of "count[ing] to two over and over again", as explained in [[nightlife]], he once had a very successful career during his days in the [[Two-o Duo]]. More recent works such as "[[Loading Screens]]" and "[[Fish Eye Lens]]" may indicate that his rap skills are starting to improve.
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Occasionally, toons will imply that Coach Z is either deliberately playing up or entirely faking this manner of speech.  
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Coach Z's [[Ages of Characters|age]] is ambiguous, as he appears to be grown up when Strong Bad was a kid in the email [[stand-up]] as well as appearing as an adult in 1974 in the 'toon [[Decemberween short shorts]] while they both appeared to be babies in the email [[high school]] (although this may simply be a product of Strong Bad's [[History According to Strong Bad|"doodle memory"]]). He is likely to be one of the older characters, since in [[caffeine]], Strong Sad's slaps provoke him to cry out "I'm just an old man!"; in [[slumber party]], Strong Bad refers to him, [[Bubs]], and [[The King of Town]] as "older kids"; and while narrating an interaction between Coach Z and Bubs in [[narrator]], Strong Bad labels them both as "weird old men".
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==Character Design and Conception==
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{{seealso|Coach Z Evolution}}
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[[Image:oldcoach.PNG|thumb|150px|"The 74s was the prime of my datin' year!"]]
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''From [[UMFM Interview - 20 May 2003|a 2003 interview with ''UMFM'']]:''
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<blockquote>'''[[MATT CHAPMAN]]:''' [Coach Z's accent] came from a depressing Midwesterner voice that me and some friends would do in college.<br/>
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'''KEVIN SCOTT:''' With rapper lingo thrown in for good measure.<br/>
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'''MATT:''' We thought that was the funniest part: here's this guy that's just this very white bread, blue-collar sounding dude {{-}} but he's down with old school hip hop, and up on the latest in hip hop.</blockquote>
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Coach Z and [[Bubs]] [[Bubs and Coach Z's Relationship|had a falling out]] at one point, as [[Fall Float Parade]] shows us; Bubs makes a "Coach Z, you jerk!" float for the parade, and Coach Z retaliates by saying "Serves him right, then" when [[Strong Mad]] steals [[Bubs Concession Stand|his concession stand]]. In the email [[narrator]], it was shown that they had made-up and returned to having boring conversations about [[Bubs's napkins]]. However, in [[Most In The Graveyard]], when it is implied that Coach Z fancies Bubs' sister, Bubs beats him up. In the same toon, it is also revealed that Coach Z and Bubs may actually be very distant cousins, although Bubs finds this hard to believe.
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Coach Z's name is derived from a nickname given to [[Craig Zobel]] {{--}} though Zobel was not particularly into sports, [[Giant Magazine Interview|college friend Bill Kramer called him "Coach Z"]]. Around the same time, [[Mike Chapman]] was writing the book ''[[Where My Hat Is At?]]'' and needed a coach character. With Zobel's nickname in mind, the character was dubbed "Coach ''Zee''", though his name was simplified to "Z" after this initial appearance.
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<gallery>
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The character's distinctive voice is derived from many regional American accents {{--}} most prominently {{w|North-Central American English|Upper Midwestern}}, {{w|Midland American English|Midland}}, and {{w|Eastern New England English|Eastern New England}} {{--}} and further exaggerated for comedic effect. Inspiration comes from both [[Indiana]] relatives and a funny voice [[Matt Chapman]] would use.
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Image:coachzs Z.png|Coach Z's emblem
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Image:oldcoach.PNG|Youthful days
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Image:Coach Z- no hat.PNG|Hatless
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Image:ZsNewMedallion.png|His emblem, squished / skewed / turned all around (from [[redesign]])
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Image:Czornament.PNG|"The 74s was the prime of my datin' year!"
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Image:torn_rubdominal_scrimmage.PNG|The emblem's a bone?
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</gallery>
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{{Character Video Transcript}}
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==Coach Z's Accent==
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===Appearance===
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{{seemain|Coach Z's Accent}}
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Coach Z wears a purple baseball cap with a blue bill. His head is a white sphere with light gray circles for eyes. Coach Z [[Lack of Visible Body Parts#Coach Z's Face|lacks a visible nose and mouth]], but is able to talk, eat, and spit with ease. He wears a large, gold "Z" medallion on his torso. His body is a bright green color, which is ambiguously either his skin or a body suit. His [[shapeshifter|sweatpants waistband]], [[Fish Eye Lens|"mittens"]], and [[Fan Costumes 2017|removing a skin-tight suit]] have been mentioned; alternatively, he has been shown to wear [[underlings|a bathing suit]] or [[Costume Commercial|a Halloween costume]] over the green. He has long arms and large feet, but very short legs.
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==Coach Z's "more than two problems"==
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{{Character Video Transcript}}
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:''Main article: [[Coach Z's Problems]]''
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==Discography==
==Discography==
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*[[These Peoples Try To Fade Me]] (2003)
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[[File:sbemail128.png|thumb|"I'm about to have a dope rhyme attack!"]]
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*[[New Boots|Hip Hop Dance]] (2004)
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*"[[These Peoples Try To Fade Me]]" (2003)
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*[[Rap Song]] featuring [[Peacey P]] and [[Tenerence Love]] (2007)
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*"[[New Boots|Hip Hop Dance]]" (2004)
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*[[being mean|Coach Z Gets Noice]] (2008)
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*"[[Rap Song]]" featuring [[Peacey P]] and [[Tenerence Love]] (2007)
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*[[Loading Screens]] with [[Strong Bad]] and [[Homestar Runner]] (2009)
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*"[[being mean|Coach Z Gets Noice]]" (2008)
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*[[Fish Eye Lens]] (2014)
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*"[[Loading Screens]]" feat. [[Strong Bad]] and [[Homestar Runner]] (2009)
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*[[The Wraparound]] (2019)
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*"[[Fish Eye Lens]]" (2014)
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*"[[The Wraparound]]" (2019)
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===As a member of Two-O Duo===
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[[Image:BandTwo-ODuo.png|thumb|"One, two, one-one two."]]
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*"Lets's TP The Stick"
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*"Throwing Rocks Through Ol' Man Marzipan's Windows"
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*"Stealin' Stuff From My Own Dang Store"
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*"Kick the Chort"
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===Features===
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*"[[Strong Badia the Free|Downright Homey]]" by Peacey P (feat. The Traitorous Coach Z)
== Fun Facts ==
== Fun Facts ==
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*Coach Z's accent came from a depressing Midwestern voice that [[Matt Chapman|Matt]] and some friends would do in college.
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[[Image:torn_rubdominal_scrimmage.PNG|thumb|The emblem's a bone?]]
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*It was revealed in issue #21 of [[Wonkavision Magazine Interview|Wonkavision]] magazine that Coach Z is named after [[Craig Zobel]].
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*According to [[trading cards]], Coach Z gave 23 [[Butt-Patting|butt pats]] in 1984 (22 to Homestar, 1 to himself).
*According to [[trading cards]], Coach Z gave 23 [[Butt-Patting|butt pats]] in 1984 (22 to Homestar, 1 to himself).
*Coach Z was originally known as "Coach Zee".
*Coach Z was originally known as "Coach Zee".
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*According to the [[Old Characters Page]], Coach Z wasn't much of a coach at the time, and he just added the title because it sounded "cooler than just Z". He has been seen coaching on numerous occasions since then, though his talent at it is still dubious at best.
*According to the [[Old Characters Page]], Coach Z wasn't much of a coach at the time, and he just added the title because it sounded "cooler than just Z". He has been seen coaching on numerous occasions since then, though his talent at it is still dubious at best.
*Coach Z is given a new display of angry eyes, as shown in [[Kick-A-Ball]] and [[hremail 3184]].
*Coach Z is given a new display of angry eyes, as shown in [[Kick-A-Ball]] and [[hremail 3184]].
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<gallery>
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Image:coachzs Z.png|Coach Z's emblem
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Image:ZsNewMedallion.png|His emblem, squished / skewed / turned all around (from [[redesign]])
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Image:Coach Z- no hat.PNG|A rare hatless appearance
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</gallery>
== Relationships ==
== Relationships ==
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== Variations ==
== Variations ==
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[[Image:Babycz.PNG|thumb|"I'm pretending I'm the craptain of the foortball torm!"]]
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[[File:ZSabre.png|thumb|"You simpleton!"]]
*[[Fort Wayne Locomotive]] ([[Old-Timey]])
*[[Fort Wayne Locomotive]] ([[Old-Timey]])
*[[Z Sabre]] ([[20X6]])
*[[Z Sabre]] ([[20X6]])
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=== [[Halloween Costumes]] ===
=== [[Halloween Costumes]] ===
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In each Homestar Runner Halloween special, Coach Z has dressed up as something rap or [[hip-hop]]-related, or in the case of Theo Huxtable and Malcolm, something he ''believes'' to be hip-hop related. (The [[wikipedia:Noid|Noid]] and [[wikipedia:Bob and Doug McKenzie|Doug McKenzie]] costumes were not released.) Strong Bad has questioned how much Coach Z actually knows about these artists.
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In each Homestar Runner Halloween special, Coach Z has dressed up as something rap or [[hip-hop]]-related, or in the case of Theo Huxtable and Malcolm, something he ''believes'' to be hip-hop related. Strong Bad has questioned how much Coach Z actually knows about these artists.
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*{{w|Flavor Flav}} (of {{w|Public Enemy}}) in [[Homestarloween Party]]
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*{{w|Shock G|Humpty Hump}} (of {{w|Digital Underground}}) in [[The House That Gave Sucky Treats]]
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*{{w|Christopher Reid (rapper)|Kid}} (of {{w|Kid 'n Play}}) in [[Pumpkin Carve-nival]]
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*{{w|Kool Moe Dee}} (of The {{w|Treacherous Three}}) in [[3 Times Halloween Funjob]]
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*{{w|Tupac Shakur|Tupac}} in [[Halloween Fairstival]]
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*{{w|Theodore Huxtable|Theo Huxtable}} (from ''[[Bill Cosby|The Cosby Show]]'') in [[Halloween Potion-ma-jig]]
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*{{w|Queen Latifah}} in [[Happy Hallow-day]]
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*{{w|So So Def Recordings}} Logo in [[Jibblies 2]]
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*{{w|Lance Robertson|DJ Lance Rock}} (from ''{{w|Yo Gabba Gabba}}'') in [[Most in the Graveyard]]
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*{{w|MC Skat Kat}} in [[Doomy Tales of the Macabre]]
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*{{w|Loose leaf|Notebook paper}} ("The Rapping Paper") in [[Which Ween Costumes?]]
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*[[A Tribe Called Quest]] (album cover mascot) in [[I Killed Pom Pom]]
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*{{w|André 3000}} (of [[Outkast]]) in [[The House That Gave Sucky Tricks]]
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*{{w|Kwamé}} in [[Later That Night...]]
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*{{w|PaRappa the Rapper}} in [[Haunted Photo Booth]]
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*{{w|Missy Elliott}} (as her head, with Pom Pom as {{w|The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)|her inflatable suit}}) in [[Mr. Poofers Must Die]]
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*{{w|DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince|The Fresh Prince}}'s Mom in [[The Homestar Runner Enters The Spooky Woods]]
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*{{w|Del the Funky Homosapien|Del}} (from {{w|Gorillaz}}) in [[Halloween Hijinks]]
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*Malcolm (from ''{{w|The Legend of Kyrandia: Malcolm's Revenge}}'') in [[Halloween Hide & Seek]]
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*{{w|Darryl McDaniels|DMC}} (from [[Run-DMC]]) in [[2022 Costume Pack Now Available]]
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*A [[Beastie Boy]] (from ''{{w|Intergalctic (song)|Intergalactic}}'') in [[The Show: Ween Edition]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Flavor Flav|Flavor Flav]] (of [[Wikipedia:Public Enemy|Public Enemy]]) in [[Homestarloween Party]]
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[[Rejected costumes]] of Coach Z as {{w|The Noid}} and [[Bob & Doug McKenzie|Doug McKenzie]] have been shared; notably, these unused costumes have no connection to hip-hop.
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*[[Wikipedia:Shock G|Humpty Hump]] (of [[Wikipedia:Digital Underground|Digital Underground]]) in [[The House That Gave Sucky Treats]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Christopher "Kid" Reid|Kid]] (of [[Wikipedia:Kid and Play|Kid and Play]]) in [[Pumpkin Carve-nival]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Kool Moe Dee|Kool Moe Dee]] (of [[Wikipedia:The Treacherous Three|The Treacherous Three]]) in [[3 Times Halloween Funjob]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Tupac Shakur|Tupac]] in [[Halloween Fairstival]]
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*Theo Huxtable (from ''[[Wikipedia:The Cosby Show|The Cosby Show]]'') in [[Halloween Potion-ma-jig]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Queen Latifah|Queen Latifah]] in [[Happy Hallow-day]]
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*[[Wikipedia:So So Def Recordings|So So Def Recordings Logo]] in [[Jibblies 2]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Lance Robertson|DJ Lance Rock]] (from ''[[Wikipedia:Yo Gabba Gabba|Yo Gabba Gabba]]'') in [[Most in the Graveyard]]
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*[[Wikipedia:MC Skat Kat|MC Skat Kat]] in [[Doomy Tales of the Macabre]]
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*Notebook Paper ("The Rapping Paper") in [[Which Ween Costumes?]]
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*[[Wikipedia:A Tribe Called Quest|A Tribe Called Quest]] (their album cover mascot) in [[I Killed Pom Pom]]
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*[[Wikipedia:André 3000|André 3000]] (of [[Outkast]]) in [[The House That Gave Sucky Tricks]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Kwamé|Kwamé]] in [[Later That Night...]]
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*[[Wikipedia:PaRappa the Rapper|PaRappa the Rapper]] in [[Haunted Photo Booth]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Missy Elliot|Missy Elliott]] (As her head, with Pom Pom as her inflatable suit) in [[Mr. Poofers Must Die]]
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*[[Wikipedia:DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince|The Fresh Prince]]'s Mom in [[The Homestar Runner Enters The Spooky Woods]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Del the Funky Homosapien|Del]] (from [[Wikipedia:Gorillaz|Gorillaz]]) in [[Halloween Hijinks]]
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*Malcolm (from ''[[Wikipedia:The Legend of Kyrandia: Malcolm's Revenge|The Legend of Kyrandia: Malcolm's Revenge]]'') in [[Halloween Hide & Seek]]
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*[[Wikipedia:Darryl McDaniels|DMC]] (from [[Wikipedia:Run-DMC|Run-DMC]]) in [[2022 Costume Pack Now Available]]
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*A [[Wikipedia:Beastie Boys|Beastie Boy]] (from ''[[Wikipedia:Intergalctic (song)|Intergalactic]]'') in [[The Show: Ween Edition]]
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==Quotes of the Week==
==Quotes of the Week==
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*[[Coach Z Other Costumes|Other Costumes]]
*[[Coach Z Other Costumes|Other Costumes]]
*[[Nicknames#Coach Z|Nicknames]]
*[[Nicknames#Coach Z|Nicknames]]
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*[[Fort Wayne Locomotive]]
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*[[Coach Z Talker]]
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*[[Z Sabre]]
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*[[Coach Z's 110%]]
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*[[Coach Z pukes in dude's toupee]]
== External Links ==
== External Links ==

Revision as of 19:22, 14 March 2024

Character: Coach Z
watch Coach Z's character video ← Marzipan Bubs →
Coach Z
He has more than two problems.
Domicile Locker Room
Voiced by Matt Chapman
Debut Where My Hat Is At?
Complete Filmography
Related Articles
Character Video
Character Relationships
Character Evolution
Other Costumes
Nicknames
3D Variation
"Hey, watch where y'er pointin' that 3D!"

Coach Z is the "coach" of the residents of Free Country, USA, though it is unclear exactly which sports he coaches. While occasionally tiresome, and burdened with "more than two" socially awkward problems, he is always ready to offer encouragement and is rarely critical of anyone.

Contents

Characterization

Coach Z can often be found at the gymnasium or race track (indeed, he seems to live in the accompanying locker room), providing vague coaching or similar involvement with various athletics. When giving advice, he tends to start with the phrase "You can't just rush into the score zone", which has lost its meaning through time. In addition to working as a coach, Coach Z works with Homestar Runner and Bubs as the apparent local law enforcement in Free Country, USA. Coach Z is also the janitor at the office where Homestar and Strong Bad work. He is paid on hourly wage and is clearly jealous that Strong Bad is paid on salary. He has also spent time dressed as the Blubb-O's Drive-Thru Whale mascot. Coach Z owns four Tony awards, suggesting that he may have a background in theater. Despite his numerous jobs, Coach Z has trouble managing his money, causing his electricity to be shut off each year.

Coach Z is a fan of hip-hop and rap music, particularly the Wu-Tang Clan. He fancies himself a rapper as well: He released the single "These Peoples Try to Fade Me", which appeared on Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits, his solo album, entitled "The Z Is All Up Ins", features the smash hit "Hip Hop Dance", and his own rap song, "Rap Song" (featuring Peacey P and Tenerence Love). Although his usual rapping prowess consists mainly of "count[ing] to two over and over again", as explained in nightlife, he once had a very successful career during his days in the Two-o Duo. More recent works such as "Loading Screens" and "Fish Eye Lens" may indicate that his rap skills are starting to improve.

Over the hill?

Coach Z's age is somewhat ambiguous, though he typically is portrayed as older than characters like Strong Bad and Homestar: he appears to be grown up when Strong Bad was a kid in the email stand-up as well as appearing as an adult in 1974 in the 'toon Decemberween short shorts; in caffeine, Strong Sad's slaps provoke him to cry out "I'm just an old man!"; in slumber party, Strong Bad refers to him, Bubs, and The King of Town as "older kids"; and while narrating an interaction between Coach Z and Bubs in narrator, Strong Bad labels them both as "weird old men".

Coach Z and Bubs had a falling out at one point, as Fall Float Parade shows us; Bubs makes a "Coach Z, you jerk!" float for the parade, and Coach Z retaliates by saying "Serves him right, then" when Strong Mad steals his concession stand. In the email narrator, it was shown that they had made-up and returned to having boring conversations about Bubs's napkins. However, in Most In The Graveyard, when it is implied that Coach Z fancies Bubs' sister, Bubs beats him up. In the same toon, it is also revealed that Coach Z and Bubs may actually be very distant cousins, although Bubs finds this hard to believe.

"More than two problems"

See main article: Coach Z's Problems
An unshaven Coach Z talking about his butt.

As Coach Z himself is not afraid to admit, he's got more than two problems. Despite being a coach, he doesn't know what a basketball is, as indicated in secret recipes. It has been strongly implied that he has a crush on Marzipan, and he has occasionally made inappropriate comments about her; one occasion on her answering machine when he was drunk, and another during the commercial break of the 4Tst annual Fall Float Parade. In diorama, Coach Z even refers to Marzipan as his "gorgeous girlfriend". Coach Z also seems to have mental and gender confusion problems, as evidenced by the time he spent "talking to his parents" on a disconnected telephone, and claiming to be a mother in garage sale. He has even stated on one occasion that he sometimes "forgets what's real, and what's just in [his] head". He has an apparent fixation with butts, and he seems to have a habit of butt-patting. He also has a slight obsession with ointments and body creams, like using 'Blue Star Ointment' to scare people in Halloween Fairstival. Many characters see him as a nuisance. Even Homestar treated Coach Z with contempt in Decemberween Short Shorts, quickly refusing to allow Coach Z to come to his house for Decemberween.

Accent

See main article: Coach Z's Accent

Coach Z has great difficulty pronouncing certain words, such as "job" (as shown in the "A Jorb Well Done" cartoon); the most commonly mispronounced sounds are long e (e.g. The Cheat/"The Chort") and the short o (job/"jaerb"), which both come out as an "or" or "aer".

Occasionally, toons will imply that Coach Z is either deliberately playing up or entirely faking this manner of speech.

Character Design and Conception

See also Coach Z Evolution
"The 74s was the prime of my datin' year!"

From a 2003 interview with UMFM:

MATT CHAPMAN: [Coach Z's accent] came from a depressing Midwesterner voice that me and some friends would do in college.
KEVIN SCOTT: With rapper lingo thrown in for good measure.
MATT: We thought that was the funniest part: here's this guy that's just this very white bread, blue-collar sounding dude – but he's down with old school hip hop, and up on the latest in hip hop.

Coach Z's name is derived from a nickname given to Craig Zobel — though Zobel was not particularly into sports, college friend Bill Kramer called him "Coach Z". Around the same time, Mike Chapman was writing the book Where My Hat Is At? and needed a coach character. With Zobel's nickname in mind, the character was dubbed "Coach Zee", though his name was simplified to "Z" after this initial appearance.

The character's distinctive voice is derived from many regional American accents — most prominently Upper Midwestern, Midland, and Eastern New England — and further exaggerated for comedic effect. Inspiration comes from both Indiana relatives and a funny voice Matt Chapman would use.

Appearance

Coach Z wears a purple baseball cap with a blue bill. His head is a white sphere with light gray circles for eyes. Coach Z lacks a visible nose and mouth, but is able to talk, eat, and spit with ease. He wears a large, gold "Z" medallion on his torso. His body is a bright green color, which is ambiguously either his skin or a body suit. His sweatpants waistband, "mittens", and removing a skin-tight suit have been mentioned; alternatively, he has been shown to wear a bathing suit or a Halloween costume over the green. He has long arms and large feet, but very short legs.

Character Video Transcript

See main article: Coach Z's Character Video

COACH Z: {looking slightly offscreen} Is that thing on? {turns to the camera lens} Hey there, ho there! I'm the Coach! The Coach Z, I'd guess you'd call me. Or plain old Coach is fine, seein' as I'm the only one around, so, probably no one else would answer to that. You say "Hey Coach!", and I'd say "Yeah?" or... "That's me!" or... "Hoo-hah!" {waves his arms in the air} Any one of those. There's rumors flyin' around that I sleep in one of these lockers, {gestures to the lockers behind him} but uh, that's just not true. I usually crash on this bench here. {gestures to the bench behind him} My back's not in real good condition. {rubs his back} And now, I'd like to perform my hip-hop single, "These peoples try to fade me". {holds up a microphone, begins to sing} A one-two, a one-two—!

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {appears in front of camera} Sorry. We're all out of tape.

Discography

"I'm about to have a dope rhyme attack!"

As a member of Two-O Duo

"One, two, one-one two."
  • "Lets's TP The Stick"
  • "Throwing Rocks Through Ol' Man Marzipan's Windows"
  • "Stealin' Stuff From My Own Dang Store"
  • "Kick the Chort"

Features

Fun Facts

The emblem's a bone?
  • According to trading cards, Coach Z gave 23 butt pats in 1984 (22 to Homestar, 1 to himself).
  • Coach Z was originally known as "Coach Zee".
  • Strong Bad referred to Coach Z as "Green Bubs" in the email road trip.
  • In Date Nite he is shown without his hat and wearing hair curlers, despite a lack of visible hair.
  • On Coach Z's emblem, the darker blue shine streak under the gold Z makes a backwards Z formation.
  • According to the Old Characters Page, Coach Z wasn't much of a coach at the time, and he just added the title because it sounded "cooler than just Z". He has been seen coaching on numerous occasions since then, though his talent at it is still dubious at best.
  • Coach Z is given a new display of angry eyes, as shown in Kick-A-Ball and hremail 3184.

Coach Z's emblem

His emblem, squished / skewed / turned all around (from redesign)

A rare hatless appearance

Relationships

Main article: Character Relationships

Variations

"You simpleton!"

Halloween Costumes

In each Homestar Runner Halloween special, Coach Z has dressed up as something rap or hip-hop-related, or in the case of Theo Huxtable and Malcolm, something he believes to be hip-hop related. Strong Bad has questioned how much Coach Z actually knows about these artists.

Rejected costumes of Coach Z as The Noid and Doug McKenzie have been shared; notably, these unused costumes have no connection to hip-hop.

Quotes of the Week

Coach Z's Quotes of the Week

See Also

External Links

Main Characters

Homestar Runner | Strong Bad | The Cheat | Strong Mad | Strong Sad | Pom Pom | Marzipan | Coach Z | Bubs | The King of Town | The Poopsmith | Homsar

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