RIP Coach Walsh.
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 ...
The man was all class. Rest in peace, Coach!
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.
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.
OH Man Barry Manlow coach died?
BTW I think he suffering from leukamaia I THINK
RIP.
Same disease that claimed Coach Landry. No doubt the two of them are together talking about "The Catch."
A great and classy coach. Football will miss this man, and so will I.
That guy was a great one. But as a suffering Rams fan I sure didn’t like him at the time.
RIP
Walsh and Landry. They don’t make coaches like that anymore. End of an era.
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.
He had a profound influence over the offensive philosophy of the game.
Both Class acts. Will be missed.
And he as an extensive coaching legacy: Dennis Green, Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Brian Billick, to name just a few.....
And he has an extensive coaching legacy: Dennis Green, Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Brian Billick, to name just a few.....
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.
RIP Coach Walsh.
Great life.
Great man.
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
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.