--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The key to coaching is love. It's not…" description: "\"The key to coaching is love. It's not knowledge; it's not discipline. If you love 'em, you can discipline them. If you love 'em, you can yell at them a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/dabo-swinney-4060_coaching_the-key-to-coaching-is-love-it-s-not-kno_2152302.jpg" --- # The key to coaching is love. It's not knowledge; it's not… ![“The key to coaching is love. It's not knowledge; it's not discipline. If you love 'em, you can discipline them. If you love 'em, you can yell at them and laugh about it later.” quote by Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/dabo-swinney-4060_coaching_the-key-to-coaching-is-love-it-s-not-kno_2152302.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/dabo-swinney-4060_coaching_the-key-to-coaching-is-love-it-s-not-kno_2152302.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/dabo-swinney-4060_coaching_the-key-to-coaching-is-love-it-s-not-kno_2152302.jpg) > “The key to coaching is love. It's not knowledge; it's not discipline. If you love 'em, you can discipline them. If you love 'em, you can yell at them and laugh about it later.” [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective coaching relies on love, which enables discipline and humor, not just knowledge or strictness. **In simple terms:** Love drives effective coaching. Key Takeaway Lead with love to discipline and bond. Themes coaching leadership empathy discipline Mood enthusiastic supportive Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - sports teams - business management - education Key Concepts emotional intelligence team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does love balance with professional competence? - Can humor improve discipline? A Different Perspective Love alone may not replace expertise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaching/) [Coaching Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaching-love-2947173/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Discipline Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline-love-1292909/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key/) [Key Coaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-coaching-1341381/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) ## Related quotes > [The key to coaching is not what you do, but the way you do it. The intangibles, the motivational parts of the game are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-pitino/the-key-to-coaching-is-not-what-you-do-but-the-way-you-do-it-the/) [Rick Pitino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-pitino/) > [Coaching is what I love to do, and I think I'm pretty good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-sampson/coaching-is-what-i-love-to-do-and-i-think-i-m-pretty-good-at-it/) [Kelvin Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-sampson/) > [I will miss the day to day stuff because I love coaching. I love being out on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-clarke/i-will-miss-the-day-to-day-stuff-because-i-love-coaching-i-love-being/) [Steve Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-clarke/) > [You get into coaching because you love the game and you love the players. And if you're not careful, you win so many games…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mack-brown/you-get-into-coaching-because-you-love-the-game-and-you-love-the/) [Mack Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mack-brown/) > [Look, coaching is what I love, it's a passion of mine, a calling. I'm gifted to do it. The reason why is that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-flores/look-coaching-is-what-i-love-it-s-a-passion-of-mine-a-calling-i-m/) [Brian Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-flores/) > [I love coaching and I love Barcelona.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/i-love-coaching-and-i-love-barcelona/) [Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/) > [I didn't get into coaching to make money. I got into this for the coaching and teaching part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/i-didn-t-get-into-coaching-to-make-money-i-got-into-this-for-the/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck -- but, most of all, endurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur-baldwin/beyond-talent-lie-all-the-usual-words-discipline-love-luck-but-most/) [James Arthur Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur-baldwin/) > [I love the discipline. I love the schedule of pushing your body to an extreme and getting it to a particular type of physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-biel/i-love-the-discipline-i-love-the-schedule-of-pushing-your-body-to-an/) [Jessica Biel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-biel/) > [Falling in love is biologically natural; sustaining love is biologically un-natural. Sustaining love requires a learned discipline. The discipline of love. The discipline of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/falling-in-love-is-biologically-natural-sustaining-love-is/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [Bob taught me extraordinary discipline and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/bob-taught-me-extraordinary-discipline-and-love/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [There can be no true discipline without love...only compliance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/there-can-be-no-true-discipline-without-love-only-compliance/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [We love to make sure all the boxes are checked - that we aren't just prepared but over-prepared before we raise our hand. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-foudy/we-love-to-make-sure-all-the-boxes-are-checked-that-we-aren-t-just/) [Julie Foudy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-foudy/) > [I'm happy I found discipline, something I love, and I also found God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-manuwa/i-m-happy-i-found-discipline-something-i-love-and-i-also-found-god/) [Jimi Manuwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-manuwa/) > [“When we really love and are loved, we are no longer free to act as we please, because we can't shake off the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-johnston/when-we-really-love-and-are-loved-we-are-no-longer-free-to-act-as-we/) [Norma Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-johnston/) ## More by Dabo Swinney > [I think we have a sin problem in the world. It's so easy to say we have a race problem, but we got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/i-think-we-have-a-sin-problem-in-the-world-it-s-so-easy-to-say-we/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [There's some criminals that wear badges. Guess what? There's some criminals that work in the media. There's some criminals that are football coaches. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/there-s-some-criminals-that-wear-badges-guess-what-there-s-some/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [I'm not a sympathetic guy when I see people throwing their lives away and using their life's obstacles as excuses to fail. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/i-m-not-a-sympathetic-guy-when-i-see-people-throwing-their-lives-away/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [I ain't never going to apologize for a 21-point win over a state rival, ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/i-ain-t-never-going-to-apologize-for-a-21-point-win-over-a-state/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [I think teams win. I don't think offense wins. I don't think defense wins. 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I got into this for the coaching and teaching part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/i-didn-t-get-into-coaching-to-make-money-i-got-into-this-for-the/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [You know how ESPN works; they'll throw themselves into a frenzy over Tebow's white bread lame ass niceness and then vilify Johnny Football just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/you-know-how-espn-works-they-ll-throw-themselves-into-a-frenzy-over/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [In recruiting, you talk about anything and everything a recruit wants to talk about that seems relevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/in-recruiting-you-talk-about-anything-and-everything-a-recruit-wants/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [I'm kind of a bottom-of-the-barrel guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/i-m-kind-of-a-bottom-of-the-barrel-guy/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [You have strengths within your team every single year and sometimes they stay the same, sometimes they change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/you-have-strengths-within-your-team-every-single-year-and-sometimes/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [We work too hard to be miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/we-work-too-hard-to-be-miserable/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [The media wants a nice guy, so I can give that to them. I figured I could be myself in this interview since no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/the-media-wants-a-nice-guy-so-i-can-give-that-to-them-i-figured-i/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [Every game is huge and every game will count when it's all said and done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/every-game-is-huge-and-every-game-will-count-when-it-s-all-said-and/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [A lot of these things in this world were only a dream for Martin Luther King. Not a one-term, but a two-term African-American president.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/a-lot-of-these-things-in-this-world-were-only-a-dream-for-martin/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) [Explore all 117 Dabo Swinney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) ## More Coaching quotes > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/) [Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/) > [Coaching Netherlands remains one of my ambitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/coaching-netherlands-remains-one-of-my-ambitions/) [Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [There's not one year to the next that you don't go through a number of changes, whether it's personnel, whether it's coaching, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mccourty/there-s-not-one-year-to-the-next-that-you-don-t-go-through-a-number/) [Jason McCourty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mccourty/) > [It's not that easy for some of these players in China to get the coaching they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chang/it-s-not-that-easy-for-some-of-these-players-in-china-to-get-the/) [Michael Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chang/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [You never want to go through a coaching change mid-cycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-rapinoe/you-never-want-to-go-through-a-coaching-change-mid-cycle/) [Megan Rapinoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-rapinoe/) > [I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have my very own school - no way. And I had no idea I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liang-chow/i-never-thought-in-my-wildest-dreams-that-i-would-have-my-very-own/) [Liang Chow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liang-chow/) > [The only thing I pay attention to with free throws is what a guy does in the final four minutes of a game. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/the-only-thing-i-pay-attention-to-with-free-throws-is-what-a-guy-does/) [John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/) > [Set goals - high goals for you and your organization. When your organization has a goal to shoot for, you create teamwork, people working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/set-goals-high-goals-for-you-and-your-organization-when-your/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [From a player's standpoint, it's on you to make sure that you're watching the film, you're doing everything during the week necessary to improve,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kelce/from-a-player-s-standpoint-it-s-on-you-to-make-sure-that-you-re/) [Jason Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kelce/) > [For most of the projects I've worked on, I've been entrusted with some degree of musical responsibility, even if it's just like coaching for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robbins/for-most-of-the-projects-i-ve-worked-on-i-ve-been-entrusted-with-some/) [J. Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robbins/) > [Coaching is very complex: it's like a puzzle, and many things need to come together to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-wawrinka/coaching-is-very-complex-it-s-like-a-puzzle-and-many-things-need-to/) [Stan Wawrinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-wawrinka/) [Browse all 1,416 Coaching quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaching/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The key to coaching is love. It's not knowledge; it's not discipline. If you love 'em, you can discipline them. 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