Coach Montes was a beloved part of The CW drama All American ever since we met him in season 4 as the Coastal California University head coach. We want to know how his story ended on the popular series, and what he’s doing now.
All American has given us plenty of surprising moments over the past six seasons since the pilot aired in 2018, including making us wonder if Coop (Bre-Z) died. Did Coach Montes leave All American, and was he part of one final dramatic storyline?
How did Coach Montes’s All American story end?
Coach Montes’s character arc concluded All American because the actor who portrayed him, Kamar de los Reyes, passed away on December 24th, 2023 from cancer.
In season 6, episode 10 called “Mass Appeal,” which aired on June 3rd, 2024, fans learned that Coach Montes began working for the NFL. Asher Adams (Cody Christian) spoke to him on the phone, which gave him some closure. While Kamar de los Reyes shot the first episode of season 6, that was all he could sadly do.
Watching this episode was too emotional for words. Considering how beloved Coach Montes was, and the tragic circumstances of the actor’s exit from the series, we’re relieved that the character is still alive and well. We know Asher is going to miss him a lot and we will, too.
Like the spinoff All American: Homecoming, which has had 3 seasons, All American focuses on the significant and heartwarming relationships that form between the characters. After Asher found out he had heart problems as All American season 3 was wrapping up, he and Coach Montes became a big part of each other’s lives. While Montes helped Asher see what else he could do, it could be argued that Asher also helped Montes feel needed and appreciated as a coach.
Coach Montes’s and Asher’s scenes were particularly sweet and also significant for the show overall. Since the main characters on All American are dedicated athletes, their relationships with their coaches matter a lot.
It seems clear that if Kamar de los Reyes hadn’t passed away, he would still be a cast member on All American and Coach Montes would continue to cheer Asher on (and maybe find another athlete to look out for). While no one wanted to see him go, the end of his story worked for his character because getting a position with the NFL felt like a natural next step in his amazing career. We like imagining him happy and proud of himself.
Nkechi Okoro, The CW drama’s showrunner, told Deadline “He was such a beloved member of our All American family.” While Kamar de los Reyes appeared in many TV series, including one episode of Pretty Little Liars and five episodes of The Rookie, he was most famous for portraying Antonio Vega on One Life To Live. His absence on All American will definitely be felt.
