Ted Lasso finally reveals Coach Beard’s real name
Apple TV+The Ted Lasso finale has dropped, and it answers a long-held question among fans: what is Coach Beard’s real name?
Coach Beard has been a rather mysterious character for much of Ted Lasso. Up until recently, we knew he’d been friends with Ted for a long time, and they coached together for the Wichita State Shockers, an American state university football team.
In Episode 11, we learned a bit about their backstory: they met in college, but Beard ended up in jail after stealing meth. When he was released on parole, he reached out to Ted, who took him in and gave him a place to sleep. Beard then stole his car, but Ted showed him compassion and helped get him a job.
It was a major reveal that made sense of Beard’s constant loyalty to Ted, and now we’ve found out another detail: his actual name.
What is Coach Beard’s name in Ted Lasso?
Coach Beard’s real name is Willis.
This is revealed in Ted and Beard’s final scene together on the plane. They’re heading home to the US, but Beard confesses that he really doesn’t want to go; he’s in love with Jane and he wants to stay at Richmond.
“I can’t do this. I don’t want to go, Ted… I wanna stay and I don’t want to let you down,” he says. Ted tells him to follow his heart, and before he fakes a manic episode so they let him off the plane, he says: “I love you, Ted.”
Ted responds: “I love you too, Willis.”
Now, if you cast your mind back to the first episode of Season 2, Ted says to Beard: “What you talkin’ about, Willis?” Like everyone else, you probably presumed this was just one of countless uses of the famous Diff’rent Strokes quote, but it’s actually Beard’s name.
“Oh and wait so Beard’s name is actually Willis? That wasn’t just a reference in Season 2?” one fan wrote. “Beard’s first name being revealed as Willis is crazy because I can’t tell if it actually is, or if it was a Ted euphemism,” another wrote. “Never would I have imagined coach beard’s name would be Willis,” a third tweeted.
Ted Lasso Seasons 1-3 are available to stream on Apple TV+ now. You can check out the rest of our coverage below:
Is Ted Lasso over? | Roy and Keeley | Season 4 | Ted Lasso Season 3 cast | Season 3 episodes & release schedule | Where is Ted Lasso Season 3 filmed? | Is Zava a real footballer? | How to make the Ted Lasso biscuits | Is there a real Ted Lasso Lego stadium? | Who is Bex? | Jamie’s dad
