Netflix Renews 'Last Chance U' for Season 4

Netflix renewed the football docuseries Last Chance U for a fourth season, and will return to Independence, Kansas to follow players at Independence Community College.

Greg Whiteley, director and executive producer, said he was excited to return to the college after Pirates head coach Jason Brown recruited new players with more "compelling stories," reports Sports Illustrated.

"Coach Brown has recruited a number of players this season who have compelling back stories and it seems the Jayhawk conference as a whole has seen a surge in recruiting," Whiteley said in a statement on Wednesday. "As such, we feel that a return trip to Kansas is warranted. After visiting the ICC campus last week and meeting the new players, I think Season 4 could be our best season yet."

The first two seasons of Last Chance U followed East Mississippi Community College. Producers chose ICC for season three.

While many sports documentaries focus on players from big colleges, Last Chance U shines a light on students playing at the junior college level. The show follows students who continue to follow their dreams of playing football, despite academic struggles and less-privileged backgrounds.

"The world of Junior College athletics seems to be a magnet for truly inspiring, heartbreaking, and compelling stories," Whiteley told SB Nation in July. "For two seasons on Last Chance U, East Mississippi Community College provided an endless supply of characters and issues to explore, but we always believed there was a lot more to be discovered in the JUCO football landscape. Leaving Mississippi and heading to Independence, Kansas, gave us the opportunity to test our theory that what makes the show memorable isn't contingent upon how good a team is."

The third players featured in season three included Malik Henry, Carlos Thompson and Kingston Davis, who were previously players or prospects at bigger colleges.

Brown also played a prominent role, and fans can expect him to do the same in season four. Whiteley said Brown gave the filmmakers unprecedented access to the team.

"There was never a time in which I asked if we could film and he said no. And for me personally, it was unprecedented. I think I've enjoyed pretty remarkable access, whether it was Mitt Romney running for President or other films that I've made. But Coach Brown is a whole other level. He was completely an open book," he said.

"He is a larger-than-life person who is kind of an open book," Whiteley told SB Nation. "I just couldn't have had a better documentary subject in terms of that kind of accessibility and authenticity on and off the camera."

Last Chance U's first three seasons are now streaming on Netflix.

Photo credit: Netflix