Taye Diggs Departs 'All American' After Shocking Episode but 'You Haven't Seen the Last of Billy Baker'

Taye Diggs has officially been written off All American.

During Monday night's episode, Diggs' character Billy Baker was killed off the series, sparking shock amongst viewers.

Following the unexpected conclusion, showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll praised Diggs' portrayal of the complex character over the last five seasons.

"It has been an honor to work with Taye over these last five seasons and to watch him bring such incredible life to the role of Billy Baker," he said in a statement to PEOPLE. "It has truly been a gift for me and my fellow writers to write a character that was equally flawed and heroic. Billy was all of us and what a joy it was to watch this character grow as he raised his kids and his football players as one big family.

The showrunner also teased Billy's continued presence on the show — even after his death.

"We wish Taye the very best in this next chapter of his life," Carroll added. "He remains a beloved member of the All American family, so you haven't seen the last of Billy Baker."

In Monday's episode, Coach Billy was escorting a bus full of college football players when the vehicle blows a tire. The dramatic moment saw the bus stuck on the edge of a clip.

Though Billy emerged from the crash with much of the team, he re-entered the bus to look for Jabari (Simeon Daise), who was unaccounted for after the accident. Billy's death is later revealed by his family as they learn the news.

Of his departure from All American, Diggs, 52, told TVLine: "It was just a feeling that I got [that I was ready to leave], and I just honored that feeling."

"It was maybe mid-fourth season. I don't even remember, to be honest, because the showrunner [Carroll] and myself are close," he continued. "We'd been keeping in contact, so she had known, and we'd been talking. And we decided how to go about it, and storylines and whatnot, so it was all above board, and everyone was in the know."

All American is still airing its fifth season on The CW. New episodes premiere Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.