EVA Vetted Entertainer

Donnie Campbell

Compare to: Ted Lasso

Kansas City, MO, USA

Coach Donnie Campbell has been referred to as the inspiration for the character, ”Ted Lasso”.

Coach Donnie Campbell is a math teacher and a high school basketball coach from Kansas who was plucked out of obscurity when Jason Sudeikis, the American actor and star of the 5-time Emmy Award winning show, revealed to Stephen Colbert on the late show that Campbell was in part the impetus for the lead character he plays with such wit and wisdom. It was back in the late 1990’s when Jason played basketball at Shawnee Mission West and Donnie was his coach. Little did Campbell know that all of the pearls of wisdom he was dropping on Jason and the team would appear years later and make an indelible impression on millions around the world. In his powerful leadership keynote, Coach Donnie Campbell, the real-life inspiration for Ted Lasso, inspires audiences to discover their "MVP" - their mission, values, and principles to inspire individuals to reach their potential and teams to reach new heights. Key Speech Themes: -Leadership -Teamwork -Positive Culture

Photos

Videos

Styles

Team Building

Coach

Leadership

Motivational

Event Types

In-Person

Hybrid

Occasions

College Event

Corporate Event

Public Event

Private Party

Festival

Offerings

This Entertainer currently has no Offerings

Testimonials

Daniel Espinoza

National Association of Manufacturers - Manager, Association Partnerships

Coach Donnie, it was an absolute pleasure meeting you in person last week. Thank you again for helping make the 2025 CMA Summer Leadership Conference a memorable and impactful event for our members. The feedback we've received from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive and your session hit nothing but net!

Dacoda Davis

North America at Suntec Industries - Sales Manager

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.

Peggy Dear Phillips

Mississippi Credit Union Association - Senior Vice President

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.