10 Greatest TV & Movie Coaches That Still Inspire Us

10 Greatest TV & Movie Coaches That Still Inspire Us

Great coaches have been all over film and television for decades but only a few stand out as being the most inspirational of them all.

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Coaches have played an important and often iconic role throughout entertainment over the past few decades. Whether they’re from a typical sports movie or television show or they’re coaches of a less traditional sense, many of them are remembered by audiences long after they stop being portrayed on screen.

Some of these coaches are the best when it comes to x’s and o’s but more often than not, the most memorable ones are those that can inspire their team. They connect to their students or players with rousing speeches or emotional heart-to-hearts that bring out the best in them.

10 Jimmy Dugan – A League Of Their Own

Sometimes, it’s the most unconventional coaches that are able to inspire and motivate their team. That’s the case with Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) from 1992’s A League of Their Own. In it, men are fighting in World War II, so women take over as the premier baseball players.

Dugan, a former Cubs player, is the manager of the Rockford Peaches. He drinks a ton, yells at his team, and seemingly doesn’t care at first. Over time, he comes to appreciate the ladies and goes out of his way to both console his players and to bring Dottie back when she tries to return home with her husband.

9 Eddie Franklin – Eddie

It probably comes as a surprise to see Edwina Franklin on this list. The 1996 movie Eddie wasn’t well-received and isn’t seen as one of the better basketball films ever made. A lot of people might not even remember but those who do can appreciate this titular character.

Eddie sees a female fan (Whoopi Goldberg) get the chance to become the coach of her beloved New York Knicks. She gets doubted at every turn but forms a bond with her players that makes them better. She deserves a nod for being the rare woman given this spotlight, especially considering there are females making waves in coaching these days.

8 Lou Brown – Major League

In most cases, the best sports movies and television shows are the ones about underdogs. That’s part of what makes 1989’s Major League such a classic. The entire setup is that the owner of the Cleveland Indians purposely signs undesirable players so they can perform poorly and she can move the franchise to Florida.

Of course, the ragtag group of players unite and prove to be a scrappy bunch who outplays their talent level. A huge reason why is the man leading the charge, Lou Brown (James Gammon). His old-school toughness does wonders for almost every person on the team’s roster.

7 Tony D’Amato – Any Given Sunday

Released in 1999, Any Given Sunday is one of the more serious takes on a football story. Dealing with all sorts of serious subjects, including steroid use, it follows the events of a once-great team known as the Sharks. Their head coach was Anthony D’Amato (Al Pacino).

Often called Tony, this is a coach who was immensely respected. He led the Sharks for years and had won two championships but with the team’s recent struggles, things got rougher for him. Regardless, D’Amato is great at what he does and he gives one of the best speeches in sports movie history.

6 Danny O’Shea – Little Giants

Movies about kids aren’t typically where a viewer would expect to find a motivational coach but some films buck that trend. One of them is 1994’s Little Giants, centering on a pair of brothers who are rivals and coach opposing pee-wee football teams in Ohio.

Danny O’Shea (played by Rick Moranis) is the coach of the Giants and has spent his entire life in the shadow of his successful brother Kevin. That allows Danny to expertly relate to his players, who are the kids that nobody wanted on their team in the first place.

5 Gordon Bombay – The Mighty Ducks

Speaking of stories about children playing sports, there’s The Mighty Ducks. The original film debuted in 1992, with sequels coming in the following years, and even a 2021 spin-off television series on Disney+ titled The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

Each of them (with the exception of D3) sees Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) as the coach of the youth hockey team. He initially is against the idea but ultimately comes to adore the kids and rally them when they’re at their worst. It’s what makes him such a great leader.

4 Johnny Lawrence – Cobra Kai

When audiences were first introduced to Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), he was one of the primary antagonists in The Karate Kid. Not many could have predicted that he would end up as the focal point of a sequel television series over 30 years later.

In Cobra Kai, Lawrence is the main character and he reopens his old dojo to teach young Miguel Diaz karate, which leads to him having other students as well. Lawrence isn’t your traditional sensei as he’s known to diss a kid as often as he is to inspire them. Regardless, he cares deeply for his students, helps them better themselves, and will fight for them.

3 Mr. Miyagi – The Karate Kid

You simply can’t discuss great coaches from this franchise without mentioning the original. First appearing back in 1984’s The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi is the teacher who guides Daniel LaRusso to becoming an All-Valley champion but he does so much more than that.

Mr. Miyagi goes beyond just coaching Daniel in karate. He inspires him to become a better man and teaches him plenty of life lessons along the way. Daniel still holds him in high esteem decades later throughout the story of Cobra Kai, proving his lasting impact.

2 Ted Lasso – Ted Lasso

Along the same lines as Major League, the premise of Apple TV+’s 2020 series Ted Lasso sees a team’s owner go out of their way to make the club into losers. Rebecca Welton wants to do it as a form of revenge against her husband who cheated on her and only ever loved the team.

To do so, she hires Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), an American football coach who knows nothing about soccer. However, Lasso proves to be a great coach because of the way he connects with his players. Even if he is clueless about the sport, he gets the most out of his team.

1 Eric Taylor – Friday Night Lights

Based on the 2004 film (and a book of the same name), the Friday Night Lights television series premiered in 2006 and quickly became one of the best sports stories of all time. As invested as audiences got in the players, it was the head coach who stole everyone’s hearts.

Eric Taylor had everything you could want in a high school football coach. He clearly understands the game but also connects to his players and helps them grow into better men. Taylor delivers inspiring speeches better than anyone and his, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” line is iconic.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-inspirational-coaches-film-television/

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