This study investigated the influence of coaches’ emotional intelligence on the need satisfaction of university athletes in Lagos State. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised university athletes in Lagos State, while a sample size of one hundred (100) respondents was purposively selected from the University of Lagos (50) and Lagos State University (50). A self-developed instrument titled “Coaches’ Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Questionnaire (CEILQ)” was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by experts in sports management psychology, while the reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained using the test-retest method and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC). Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square (χ²), and Univariate Analysis of Variance (UNIANOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that a significant difference existed in the emotional intelligence of university coaches in Lagos State, with the majority of coaches exhibiting moderate emotional intelligence levels. The study also revealed a significant difference in university athletes’ need satisfaction, with most athletes reporting moderate levels of need satisfaction. Furthermore, the findings established that coaches’ emotional intelligence significantly influenced university athletes’ need satisfaction, as athletes under coaches with higher emotional intelligence recorded higher levels of need satisfaction. The study concluded that emotionally intelligent coaching plays a significant role in enhancing athletes’ psychological well-being and satisfaction in university sports settings. The study therefore recommended that university sports administrators should organize regular emotionalintelligence training and psychological development programs for coaches in order to improve athlete motivation, satisfaction and overall sports performance.