‘New Girl’ is doing a first season throwback… in one of the biggest ways possible.

When ‘New Girl’ premiered early on iTunes in 2011, four actors rounded out the cast.  Other than Zooey Deschanel, the biggest name was Damon Wayans Jr., who played Coach. He was famously replaced with another black actor, Lamorne Morris, but it seems like Coach is ready to get back in the game.

Earlier this week, Wayans Jr. appeared as a “Special Guest Star” on a new episode.  While it was originally the beginning of a four-episode arc, Wayans Jr. is now slated to recur throughout the rest of season three.

There’s not really a question as to why the decision was made. Wayans Jr.’s appearance helped ratings rise 11 percent, and now that the actor is no longer tied to ABC’s cult comedy “Happy Endings,” he is completely available for “New Girl.”

Not only does the change further diversify the cast of “New Girl,” but it creates some interesting character dynamics as well.  If you were slowly losing interest in this sitcom, now might be a good time to start watching again.

“New Girl” airs Tuesdays at 9 PM on Fox.