Odds are the name David Koechner does not ring a bell, but he has probably made people laugh at some point by playing ridiculously absurd characters.

“I’ve auditioned for a couple things and directors have had a preconceived notion that perhaps I only play lunatic, southern or redneck characters,” Koechner said.

David Koechner (right) stars in “The Comebacks,” which opens Friday.

The 45-year-old Koechner stars as Coach Lambeau Fields in “The Comebacks.” The movie is a spoof of many familiar sports flicks such as “Field of Dreams,” “The Longest Yard,” “Gridiron Gang,” along with many others.

Probably best known for his role as Champ Kind in “Anchorman,” Koechner has made a name for himself by playing over-the-top characters such as Todd Packer, a recurring role of his in the NBC comedy, “The Office” and appearances in movies such as “Talladega Nights” and “40 Year Old Virgin.”

Koechner said Coach Fields is different from other roles he has played such as T-Bones in “The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show.”

“In ‘The Comebacks,’ my character is more earnest, heartfelt but at the same time completely ridiculous,” he said. “He has little or no self awareness but takes himself quite seriously.”

“The Comebacks” draws on many familiar scenes from various sports movies and twists them into farcical satires.

Koechner could not point to a specific spoof that was his favorite.

“They were all fun,” he said. “There was something unique and funny about all of them. Standing on the ice for ‘The Miracle’ spoof and the ‘Dodgeball’ spoof both were fun. I got to wear a wig and have hair for the ‘Dodgeball’ one.”

Koechner is well suited for his roles as ridiculous larger-than-life characters transferring his sense of humor he carries with him every day to his roles in film and TV.

“There are certainly things people probably think of me for, in terms of large bombastic characters,” he said. “That’s certainly in my wheelhouse and I can bring believability to it.”

Koechner said similar to his characters. He is quite happy and ridiculous in real life as well.

“I act for a living and it’s something I love to do,” he said. “To work is to play and to me that’s the best day, any day you’re working. I just try to have fun. I’m not really a prankster – a jokester to be sure.”

The message of the movie is a simple one for Koechner.

“You forgot how to laugh, this will remind you.”

“The Comebacks” will be in theaters Friday.

David McNeely can be reached at [email protected].