Inspiring Quotes About Coaches

Coaches play an essential role in guiding players towards their full potential – not just as athletes, but as individuals. They teach athletes important life lessons such as discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and the value of hard work. By nurturing their players’ talents and believing in their abilities, coaches have the power to shape lives in profound ways.

These powerful quotes about coaches capture the essence of coaches’ ability to bring out the champion within us. Get inspired and reignite your competitive spirit as you reflect on these words of wisdom from athletes, leaders, and coaches.

1. “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”
-John Wooden, legendary UCLA men’s basketball coach

2. “All it takes is one coach that believes in you.”
-Jon Gruden, former NFL head coach

3. “Behind every great athlete is a masterful coach that inspires the athlete to evolve into the strongest performer they can become.”
-Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner

4. “A good coach improves your game. A great coach improves your life.”
-Michael Josephson, speaker and author

5. “A coach is someone who sees beyond your limits and guides you to greatness.”
-Michael Jordon, basketball legend

6. “Good coaches teach respect for the opposition, love of competition, the value of trying your best, and how to win and lose graciously.”
-Tony Dungy, former NFL head coach

7. “A coach must never forget that he’s a leader and not merely a person with authority.”
-John Wooden

8. “The best coaches are the ones that see potential in the people they coach that they don’t even see in themselves.”
-Brett Favre, former NFL quarterback

9. “Coaching is unlocking a personal potential to maximize their growth.”
-John Whitmore

10. “A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”
-Tom Landry, legendary Dallas Cowboys head coach

11. “The role of a coach is not just to teach skills, but to inspire and transform lives.”
–Tony Robbins, motivational author, coach, and speaker

12. “Coaches have a profound impact on individuals because they are ready to provide guidance and support even when it’s not convenient or easy.”
-Unknown

13. “Good coaching is about leadership and instilling respect in your players. Dictators lead through fear – good coaches do not.”
-John Wooden

14. “Behind every fearless player is a fearless coach who refused to let them be anything but the best they can be.”
-Unknown

15. “All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and somebody who believes in them.”
-Magic Johnson, basketball legend

16. “All coaching is taking a player where they can’t take themself.”
-Unknown

17. “Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.”
-Pete Carroll, NFL head coach

18. “An excellent coach is hard to find, difficult to part with, and impossible to forget.”
-Unknown

19. “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”
-Steven Spielberg, Oscar-winning director

20. “Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat him as he could be, and he will become what he should be.”
-Jimmy Johnson, former Dallas Cowboys head coach

Share these quotes with your favorite coaches and individuals who could use a motivation boost. And check out our recommendations for gifts for coaches to thank and recognize the amazing coaches in your life.

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Christine Luff is a certified RRCA running coach, and certified as a personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, and a weight management specialist by the American Council on Exercise. Her book, Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, is available on Amazon.