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Former 49er head coach Bill Walsh dies
S. F. Chronicle ^ | Monday, July 30, 2007 | Tom FitzGerald, Chronicle Staff Writer

Posted on 07/30/2007 12:02:01 PM PDT by Doomonyou

(07-30) 11:50 PDT -- Bill Walsh, the imaginative and charismatic coach who took over a downtrodden 49ers team and built one of the greatest franchises in NFL history, has died at the age of 75.

A master of using short, precisely timed passes to control the ball in what became known as the West Coast offense, he guided the team to three Super Bowl championships and six NFC West division titles in his 10 years as head coach.

The 49ers had been wrecked by mismanagement and unwise personnel decisions under former general manager Joe Thomas when owner Ed DeBartolo Jr. cleaned house in 1979. Walsh, who had led Stanford to two bowl victories in two seasons as head coach, took a 49ers team that had finished 2-14 in 1978 and built a Super Bowl champion in just three years. It was one of the most remarkable turnarounds in professional sports history.

His teams would win two more Super Bowls (following the 1984 and 1988 seasons) before he turned the team over to George Seifert, who directed the 49ers to two more championships ('89 and '94). Walsh set the foundation for an unprecedented streak in the NFL of 16 consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: California
KEYWORDS: 49ers; billwalsh; coach; nfl; obituary; one
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RIP.
1 posted on 07/30/2007 12:02:08 PM PDT by Doomonyou
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To: Doomonyou

The man was all class. Rest in peace, Coach!


2 posted on 07/30/2007 12:03:04 PM PDT by TommyDale (Never forget the Republicans who voted for illegal immigrant amnesty in 2007!)
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To: Doomonyou

OMG. He was an NFL genius. Was he sick? Wow... I am crushed. The Niners are one of my favs, and Walsh basically made that team what it was in the 80s/90s.


3 posted on 07/30/2007 12:03:34 PM PDT by rintense (I'm 4 Thompson!)
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To: rintense
He had Leukemia I believe, but didn't make a big deal about it.
4 posted on 07/30/2007 12:04:52 PM PDT by Doomonyou (Let them eat lead.)
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To: All
Even this COWBOY fan must pause to give respect to a great man who coached a team I truly despised.

Walsh was an offensive genius. He was so far ahead of the other coaches of his era. It truly gave the 49ers an unfair advantage over other teams.

RIP, Coach Walsh.

5 posted on 07/30/2007 12:05:49 PM PDT by boss man
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To: Doomonyou

OH Man Barry Manlow coach died?

BTW I think he suffering from leukamaia I THINK


6 posted on 07/30/2007 12:06:34 PM PDT by SevenofNine ("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
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To: Doomonyou

RIP.


7 posted on 07/30/2007 12:06:51 PM PDT by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: Doomonyou
He had Leukemia I believe, but didn't make a big deal about it.

Same disease that claimed Coach Landry. No doubt the two of them are together talking about "The Catch."

8 posted on 07/30/2007 12:08:46 PM PDT by dfwgator (The University of Florida - Still Championship U)
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To: Doomonyou

A great and classy coach. Football will miss this man, and so will I.


9 posted on 07/30/2007 12:09:06 PM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: Doomonyou

That guy was a great one. But as a suffering Rams fan I sure didn’t like him at the time.

RIP


10 posted on 07/30/2007 12:10:29 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Democrat Happens!)
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To: boss man

Walsh and Landry. They don’t make coaches like that anymore. End of an era.


11 posted on 07/30/2007 12:10:37 PM PDT by Shaun_MD ("Republic of Texas")
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To: rintense

Pretty sure he had been diagnosed with leukemia in late 2006. His family history is tragic - son also dead of leukemia and a wife disabled by Parkinson’s I believe.


12 posted on 07/30/2007 12:11:16 PM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: boss man

He had a profound influence over the offensive philosophy of the game.


13 posted on 07/30/2007 12:11:18 PM PDT by Cyropaedia ("Virtue cannot separate itself from reality without becoming a principal of evil...".)
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To: dfwgator; boss man
Same disease that claimed Coach Landry. No doubt the two of them are together talking about "The Catch."

Both Class acts. Will be missed.

14 posted on 07/30/2007 12:12:15 PM PDT by Doomonyou (Let them eat lead.)
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To: boss man
Walsh was an offensive genius. He was so far ahead of the other coaches of his era. It truly gave the 49ers an unfair advantage over other teams.

And he as an extensive coaching legacy: Dennis Green, Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Brian Billick, to name just a few.....

15 posted on 07/30/2007 12:12:55 PM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: boss man
Walsh was an offensive genius. He was so far ahead of the other coaches of his era. It truly gave the 49ers an unfair advantage over other teams.

And he has an extensive coaching legacy: Dennis Green, Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Brian Billick, to name just a few.....

16 posted on 07/30/2007 12:13:12 PM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: Doomonyou

Walsh is obviously a legendary NFL coach, a total gentleman beyond. Coached a friend’s 2 sons at Stanford, who would not speak more highly of him. May he rest in peace and his family find comfort in the life they shared together.


17 posted on 07/30/2007 12:14:46 PM PDT by EDINVA
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To: Doomonyou

RIP Coach Walsh.

18 posted on 07/30/2007 12:15:19 PM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: Doomonyou
Great coach.

Great life.

Great man.

19 posted on 07/30/2007 12:16:02 PM PDT by llevrok (I voted for George Bush - not Jorge Arbusto.)
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To: Doomonyou

As a Niner Fan, he has been missed for a long time. One of the true Innoventors of the game. Joe Montana, Rice, Taylor and Clark were unstoppable under his offense.

Prayers for comfort and strength for his family and friends.

Pray for W and Our Troops


20 posted on 07/30/2007 12:16:02 PM PDT by bray (Member of the FR President Bush underground)
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