Bill Walsh

The Genius who built a dynasty with the West Coast offense.

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William Ernest Walsh (November 30, 1931 – July 30, 2007) was an American professional and college football coach. He served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense. After retiring from the 49ers, Walsh worked as a sports broadcaster for several years and then returned as head coach at Stanford for three seasons.

Quick Facts

Born: 30 November 1931
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died: 30 July 2007
Place of death: Woodside, California, U.S.
High school: Hayward (CA)
College: San Jose State

Lore & Background

Walsh went 102–63–1 with the 49ers, winning 10 of his 14 postseason games along with six division titles, three NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowls. He was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1984. In 1993, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is widely considered amongst the greatest coaches in NFL history.

Reader's Guide

Walsh was born in Los Angeles. He attended Hayward High School in Hayward in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he played running back. He played quarterback at the College of San Mateo for two seasons. After playing at the College of San Mateo, Walsh transferred to San José State University, where he played tight end and defensive end.

He also participated in intercollegiate boxing, winning the golden glove. Walsh graduated from San Jose State with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1955. After two years in the U.S. Army participating on their boxing team, Walsh built a championship team at Washington High School in Fremont before becoming an assistant coach at Cal, Stanford and then the Oakland Raiders in 1966. He served under Bob Bronzan as a graduate assistant coach on the Spartans football coaching staff and graduated with a master's degree in physical education from San Jose State in 1959.

His master's thesis was entitled 'Flank Formation Football -- Stress: Defense. Thesis 796.W228f.' Following graduation, Walsh coached the football and swim teams at Washington High School in Fremont, California. While there he interviewed for an assistant coaching position with the new head coach of the University of California, Berkeley California Golden Bears football team, Marv Levy.

Levy and Walsh, two future NFL Hall of Famers, would never produce a winning season for the Golden Bears. Leaving Berkeley, Walsh did a stint at Stanford University as an assistant coach of its Cardinal football team before beginning his pro coaching career. Walsh began his pro coaching career in 1966 as an assistant with the AFL's Oakland Raiders. There he was versed in the downfield-oriented 'vertical' passing offense favored by Al Davis, an acolyte of Sid Gillman.

Walsh left the Raiders the next year to become the head coach and general manager of the San Jose Apaches of the Continental Football League. He led the Apaches to second place in the Pacific Division, but the team ceased all football operations prior to the start of the 1968 CFL season. In 1968, Walsh joined the staff of head coach Paul Brown of the AFL expansion Cincinnati Bengals, where he coached wide receivers from 1968 to 1970. It was there that Walsh developed the philosophy now known as the 'West Coast offense'. In 1971 Walsh was given the additional responsibility of coaching the quarterbacks.