Bill Walsh, known for his offensive innovations and championship coaching, lost his battle with leukemia Monday. He was 75.Walsh coached college football at Stanford on two occasions, but was best-known for his work on the sideline of the San Francisco 49ers. Walsh's "West Coast" offense, which was built on short, precision passes designed to help an offense control the football, became one of the most popular schemes in the NFL, copied by numerous coaches who had ties to Walsh's staffs in San Francisco. Many current NFL head coaches, including Seattle's Mike Holmgren, Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden, Philadelphia's Andy Reid, the Vikings' Brad Childress, and Mike McCarthy of Green Bay, among many others, run the West Coast offense.
San Francisco experienced heights previously unknown to that franchise after Walsh took control of the organization. He led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl in 1981 and would follow that championship up with two more titles (1984 and 1988). His work started an amazing streak of 16 consecutive seasons with at least ten wins in the regular season, and when he stepped aside, defensive coordinator George Seifert took over and led the team to two more titles.At Walsh's Hall of Fame induction in 1993, he surprised many by revealing that he almost didn't make it through his second year in San Francisco. From the Chronicle story:
"In those first three years, we were trying to find the right formula," he said. "We went 2-14 that first year (1979). The next year we won three and then lost eight in row. I looked out of the window for five hours on the plane ride home from Miami after the eighth straight loss, and I had concluded I wasn't going to make it. I was going to move into management."Walsh was the main architect of those San Francisco teams. He drafted Jerry Rice out of little Mississippi Valley State in 1985. He drafted Joe Montana out of Notre Dame in 1979 and engineered the Steve Young trade from Tampa Bay in 1987. Both would end up in Canton with Walsh, and Rice will be there once he's eligible.
Walsh's numbers are astounding. He was 102-63-1 as the 49ers head coach, including 10-4 in the postseason. He won six division titles, was a two-time Coach of the Year, and also managed to win three bowl games and over 30 games in his two stints at Stanford.
Besides coaching and front office work, Walsh also spent three years at NBC after he stopped coaching the 49ers.
While he was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004, Walsh did not disclose his illness publicly until last year. His son, Steve, also died of leukemia. Steve Walsh was a reporter at ABC News. He died in 2002 at age 46.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. sad day for the west side.
Posted at 3:44PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Miss Gossip
2. Bill was a genious and will be greatly missed my many fans and former players. It's a sad day for football.
Posted at 4:01PM on Jul 30th 2007 by knoke
3. Man, first Ingmar Bergman now Walsh, tough day.
Posted at 4:05PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Brian
4. As a diehard Bengals fan - I have the utmost respect for Bill Walsh. My best wishes and prayers are extended to the Walsh family..
Posted at 4:11PM on Jul 30th 2007 by k2finance
5. Nothing honors a man's legacy more than a lazy headline. This is the sixth I have seen calling him a legend or legendary. I suppose that means Bill Walsh never existed.
From the AP Stylebook: "King Arthur was a legend. Paul Brown was a football coach."
Go ahead, flame away, please know you're championing the cause of lazy sports writing.
Posted at 4:48PM on Jul 30th 2007 by tacobellmanager
6. To much time spent in the sun could have contribute to his condition.
Posted at 5:34PM on Jul 30th 2007 by eileen
7. my prayers to the family of Coach Walsh. God bless you all!!!!!!!!!
Posted at 5:57PM on Jul 30th 2007 by SNOOKIE
8. my prayers to the family of Coach Walsh. God bless you all!!!!!!!!!
Posted at 5:58PM on Jul 30th 2007 by SNOOKIE
9. Bill Walsh was a coaching genius and his team put the fear of God in their opponents. His West Coast offense is the super offense of his time since the San Diego Chargers days of Sid Luckman, John Hadl and Lance Alworth. Rest in peace Bill you will be sorely missed. Love your EA Sports game.
Posted at 6:27PM on Jul 30th 2007 by George B Vieto
10. First, I send my condolences to his wife, Geri, and their kids. This gentleman was an innovator and a creative breath of fresh air in coaching and life. Walsh created, without anyone's urging, a minority hiring initiative that the NFL eventually adopted. The word that always came to mind when I thought of him was "fair", as in enough of a human being to give others a chance. That is the definition of a man to me. He was soooo good that I had to respect his teams, even as a Raidah fan. We'll miss you Bill and thank you for your contributions to the game and the people you touched.
Posted at 7:31PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Old Skool Raidah
11. Bill Walsh rekindled my love for the sport. He was the greatest sports figure of Football. He made the Sport of football more exciting with his "West Coasr" offense. He eclipsed the likes of that daughty, and mercurial Al Davis of the Raiders. While Waslh built up the 49er. fame and fortunes, that stupid Al Davis tore down the Raider Team. Too bad, the wrong person died!
Posted at 8:40PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Joe Beltran
12. Thank you so much for the exiting, exhiliating 49er football games. Watching the games helped me through a difficult time in my life when I could have turned toward alcohol and drugs. Instead I became an avid fan, and will continue to be a 49er fan. God Bless you, Bill Walsh. My prayers and thoughts go out to the Walsh family.
Tia J
Posted at 11:37AM on Jul 31st 2007 by Janet