who plays the female football coach on glee
Beiste (Glee) Coach Shannon Beiste (later Sheldon Beiste) is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dot-Marie Jones, and has appeared in Glee since its second season premiere "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010. Coach Beiste is introduced as female championship-winning football coach Shannon Beiste, brought in to make the McKinley High football team successful. Coach Beiste immediately comes into conflict with cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), though Beiste and Will eventually become good friends. In Beiste's first year, the coach successfully steers the team to its first championship. When the character returns in the third season, in addition to coaching football, Beiste co-directs the school musical and runs the elections for senior class president. Beiste's first boyfriend is Ohio State football recruiter Cooter Menkins (Eric Bruskotter), though Beiste initially faces competition from Sue for him. Beiste and Cooter eventually marry, and the coach later finds support from Sue after becoming the victim of domestic abuse, ultimately leaving and then divorcing Cooter. In the sixth season, Beiste comes out as transgender (being diagnosed with gender dysphoria) and undergoes gender confirmation surgery, taking on the new name Sheldon Beiste.
Emma Pillsbury Emma Pillsbury Schuester (previously Pillsbury-Howell) is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. She is a guidance counselor at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio where the series is set. Emma suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and has romantic feelings for glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), but becomes engaged to football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher) as Will is married. Ken ultimately breaks up with her on their wedding day because of her feelings for Will, and when Will leaves his wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), he and Emma share a kiss. Their relationship is short-lived, and in the second season, Emma and her dentist boyfriend Carl Howell (John Stamos) marry in Las Vegas. The wedding is later annulled as it was unconsummated. At the beginning of the third season, she and Will are living together; they become engaged shortly after New Years, and consummate their relationship near the end of the school year. Emma leaves Will at the altar midway through the fourth season, but the two later reconcile and marry in the season finale. She becomes pregnant during the middle of the fifth season.