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Donnie Campbell

Real-life inspiration behind Ted Lasso, Donnie Campbell brings powerful lessons on leadership, values, and belief to every audience.

5.00 of 5

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5 of 5

A massive thank you to the American Boiler Manufacturers Association for organizing such a valuable and energizing event — and to Donnie Campbell, the real-life inspiration behind Ted Lasso, not only for the picture but also for sharing your story and leaving us all with a boost of optimism and purpose.

Dacoda Davis, Sales Manager

North America at Suntec Industries

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Why book Donnie Campbell for your next event

  • With 36+ years of experience coaching and teaching, Donnie has empowered thousands of students and athletes to lead with character and courage.
  • Equip your team with the mindset and methods of a coach who’s built success by developing confident, values-based leaders for over three decades.
  • Built a legacy as a transformational coach and educator, known for instilling belief, discipline, and purpose in every team he’s led.

Non-binding request for Donnie Campbell

Leading with Heart: Building Teams That Believe

The real-life inspiration behind Ted Lasso, Coach Donnie Campbell delivers engaging keynotes on leadership, belief, and character. With 36+ years of coaching and teaching, he helps organizations build purpose-driven teams, boost morale, and lead with values that last.

Keynote Speaker Donnie Campbell is the real-life inspiration behind the beloved character Ted Lasso, a global cultural icon known for leading with optimism, integrity, and belief. With over 36 years of experience as a high school basketball coach and math teacher, Donnie has dedicated his career to developing character, confidence, and leadership in young people, values that are now transforming corporate teams and executive leadership alike.

Donnie’s keynote presentations are rooted in real-world coaching wisdom, not theory. He shares powerful stories and actionable insights that resonate with organizations seeking to strengthen workplace culture, build resilient teams, and develop purpose-driven leaders. His message goes beyond motivation; it’s about cultivating long-term impact through values-based leadership and mentorship.

Featured on national platforms like Good Morning America and NBC’s Today Show, Donnie has become a sought-after speaker for companies looking to inspire their workforce with a message of belief, perseverance, and positive leadership.

Whether you're facing change, low morale, or a need to realign your team’s purpose, Donnie delivers keynotes that connect and empower.

Book Donnie Campbell for your event and give your audience an unforgettable experience with the coach who helped inspire a movement, on screen and in real life. Let belief lead the way.

Customer Reviews

5 of 5

A massive thank you to the American Boiler Manufacturers Association for organizing such a valuable and energizing event — and to Donnie Campbell, the real-life inspiration behind Ted Lasso, not only for the picture but also for sharing your story and leaving us all with a boost of optimism and purpose.

5 of 5

I just had the opportunity to watch an incredibly inspiring presentation at the National #CCAI (Chemical Coaters Association International) event by Donnie Campbell, the man behind Ted Lasso's inspiration! His insights on leadership mission, values, and resilience were truly motivating. Congratulations to Coach Donnie Campbell for sharing such valuable lessons!

5 of 5

Thank you again for being part of our Annual Meeting and Convention—it was truly a pleasure to have you on the program. We were thrilled to welcome 544 attendees this year. Many of them joined your session, and more importantly, they were genuinely engaged with your message. It's rare to see an audience so attentive—often we see people distracted by their devices or stepping out early—but that certainly wasn’t the case during your presentation. It was a joy to work with both you and Kelly in putting this together. From a meeting planning standpoint, having a strong, proven presenter makes all the difference.

5 of 5

The conference went very well, and Donnie was a huge hit. We heard nothing but really positive feedback about his presentation, the way he interacted with the audience, etc. It was a great experience!

5 of 5

#believe The example you set in Leadership isn’t the main thing, it’s the only thing…🤗 That was one of my key takeaways from our morning guest speaker session with Donnie Campbell in Boston 🇺🇸 yesterday. Meeting the person that was the inspiration behind how Jason Sudeikis played Ted Lasso was really cool. To hear his stories and the lessons he learnt from coaching championship winning Basketball teams was awesome. So many lessons that can translate to how we build, run and lead teams in todays volatile world. Define your MVP - Mission, Values, Plan - and get after it. Trust, accountability and commitment is all you need. Second favourite quote “if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse Nothing beats hearing first hand from an inspirational leader to get you motivated

5 of 5

It was a pleasure having you speak at our event.The team found your authentic leadership approach to align well with our core values - thanks for educating and entertaining us!

5 of 5

Donnie was terrific. He is just the nicest person EVER. We completely enjoyed him. I will be recommending him to other CU leagues.

5 of 5

I have to tell you when we first met I did what I’m sure everyone does and try to see the essence of Jason’s character in you. I certainly saw the resemblance but it was only after we spent time together that I understood what he most likely saw. You have a way of connecting that makes people feel like their best self. I’m certain you impacted his life in a more profound way and I felt honored to make your acquaintance in a similar way. Thanks for inspiring our team at our event and thank you for connecting with me personally.

5 of 5

DLA Piper like Donnie so much they had him back! Donnie’s presentation was great and very well received. In fact, I circulated a survey to the attendees this morning and several participants have already responded that Donnie’s speech was their favorite session. He was very personable and answered all our questions.

5 of 5

Donnie’s presentation was fantastic! He spoke for our company sales leadership at a time when the team is going through a lot of change. Our focus as a result has been to support the leaders and invest in their development. Donnie’s message was the perfect fit. He brought to life the importance of coaching, development and excellence in a form of real-life examples, amazing stories and powerful quotes. Great investment into your leadership team!

Rated 5.00/5 based on 10 customer reviews

Keynotes

Keynote by Donnie Campbell:

What’s Your MVP? Leadership Lessons from the Coach who Inspired Ted Lasso

Coach Donnie Campbell is not just an inspirational coach, but also in part, the impetus for the wise and ever so cheerful lead character of the Emmy Award Winning show, Ted Lasso. His colorful keynote provides valuable leadership lessons that can be seen on the court, but more importantly applied in the workplace.

At a time when embracing your uniqueness is a rare quality, he shows how to define your core values while forming your mission, values and plan.

This one-of-a-kind keynote is a real treat for the audience as it combines heartfelt storytelling with specific lessons in leadership that are just as successful on the basketball court as they are when applied in the real world. Donnie weaves together his personal stories of inspiration with tactical take-aways that are more than applicable and welcomed in today's challenging environment.

Donnie’s presentation hits on the following leadership principles and more:

Believe: In a world that seems to be defeating each person in some way,  that there is a reason that people are attracted to kindness and good.

MVP: You are your own most "valuable" player - but it's important to know your MVP - (mission/values/plan) as it builds the foundation for everything else.

Motivation and Mentoring: if you are open to it, mentors can provide some of the most meaningful lessons, ones that you will carry with you for years (Donnie shares the invaluable advice he learned from others, how he still carries the knowledge with him today and uses it to motivate his players)

Leadership: You continue to learn when you have a leader and then you learn even more when you become one

Confidence: A simple premise in theory, but it really has many layers - Donnie shares how to build it in yourself and others

Know Your Why: When you are a great leader and you are clear on your “why” - the rest will take care of itself and you will get results beyond what you ever imagined.

Success: Many ways to define success - but it all boils down to how you define it and what matters to you.

Note: Throughout his presentation, there are several quick references to the Ted Lasso show and how Donnie feels about being the inspiration for the show.

Request a quote: Donnie Campbell What’s Your MVP? Leadership Lessons from the Coach who Inspired Ted Lasso

Donnie Campbell - What's Your MVP keynote segment

Watch Donnie Campbell in action

Donnie Campbell - 3 Important things Leaders Need to Know

Watch Donnie Campbell in action

Donnie Campbell - Creating Trust in Your Teams

Watch Donnie Campbell in action

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