Bill Walsh (American football coach) facts for kids
Walsh at San Jose State in 2007
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| Personal information | |
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| Born: | November 30, 1931 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died: | July 30, 2007 (aged 75) Woodside, California, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Hayward (CA) |
| College: | San Jose State |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
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| As administrator: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 92–59–1 (.609) |
| Postseason: | 10–4 (.714) |
| Career: | NFL: 102–63–1 (.617) NCAA: 34–24–1 (.585) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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William Ernest Walsh (born November 30, 1931 – died July 30, 2007) was a famous American football coach. He coached both professional and college teams. He is best known for leading the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal.
Walsh became very famous for creating the "West Coast offense" style of play. This offense changed how many teams played football. After coaching the 49ers, he worked as a sports announcer. Later, he returned to coach at Stanford for a few more years.
With the 49ers, Walsh had an amazing record of 102 wins, 63 losses, and 1 tie. He won 10 out of 14 playoff games. His teams also won 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 chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Many people think he is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.
Contents
Becoming a Football Coach
Walsh was born in Los Angeles. He grew up in Hayward and went to Hayward High School. There, he played as a running back.
He played quarterback at the College of San Mateo for two seasons. Later, he moved to San José State University. At San Jose State, he played tight end and defensive end. He was also good at boxing and won a Golden Glove award.
Walsh earned his degree in physical education in 1955. After serving in the U.S. Army and boxing for them, he became a high school coach. He built a championship team at Washington High School in Fremont. Then, he became an assistant coach at Cal, Stanford, and the Oakland Raiders.
Coaching in College Football
Walsh earned his master's degree in physical education from San Jose State in 1959. His master's project was about a football strategy called "Flank Formation Football."
After college, he coached football and swimming at Washington High School. He then got a job as an assistant coach for the University of California, Berkeley California Golden Bears. The head coach, Marv Levy, was very impressed with Walsh's knowledge.
Walsh also worked as an assistant coach at Stanford University for their Cardinal team. This was before he started his career in professional football.
Coaching in Professional Football
Starting in the Pros
Walsh began coaching professional football in 1966. He was an assistant coach for the AFL's Oakland Raiders. There, he learned about a passing offense that focused on long throws down the field.
The next year, Walsh became the head coach and general manager for the San Jose Apaches. This team was part of the Continental Football League (CFL). He led the Apaches to a good finish, but the team stopped playing before the next season.
In 1968, Walsh joined the Cincinnati Bengals. He coached wide receivers for them. This is where he started to develop his famous "West Coast offense." The Bengals' new quarterback, Virgil Carter, was fast and accurate but couldn't throw very far.
Walsh changed the offense to use quick, short passes that spread the ball across the field. In 1971, he also started coaching the quarterbacks. Carter then became the league leader in pass completion percentage.
Later, Ken Anderson became the Bengals' starting quarterback. With star wide receiver Isaac Curtis, they created a very strong offense.
When the Bengals' head coach, Paul Brown, retired in 1975, Walsh hoped to become the new head coach. But Brown chose someone else. Walsh then left and became an assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers in 1976. Walsh later said that Paul Brown tried to stop him from getting head coaching jobs in the NFL.
In 1977, Walsh became the head coach at Stanford University again. He had two very successful seasons there. His teams won 9 games in 1977 and 8 games in 1978. They also won two bowl games. He coached great players like quarterbacks Guy Benjamin, Steve Dils, and wide receivers James Lofton and Ken Margerum. Walsh was named the Pac-8 Conference Coach of the Year in 1977.
Leading the 49ers to Glory
On January 9, 1979, Walsh left Stanford to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers had only won 2 games in the previous season.
In 1979, the 49ers won only 2 games again. But Walsh made important changes. He drafted Joe Montana from Notre Dame in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft. This was a very smart move.
In 1980, the team started 3–0. But after a big loss, Walsh gave Montana a chance to start. Montana led the 49ers to an amazing comeback win against the New Orleans Saints. They were down 35–7 at halftime but won 38–35 in overtime. Even with this, the team finished 6–10, but they were getting ready for something big.
Winning the 1981 Super Bowl
In 1981, Walsh's hard work paid off. The 49ers had a fantastic 13–3 regular season. They beat the Los Angeles Rams twice. The Rams had been very strong against the 49ers for years. These wins showed that the 49ers were now a dominant team.
The 49ers played the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. It was a very close game. In the final moments, Joe Montana threw a touchdown pass to Dwight Clark. This play became famous as "The Catch." It sent Walsh to his first Super Bowl.
Two weeks later, on January 24, 1982, San Francisco played the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. The 49ers won 26–21, earning their first NFL championship. In just two seasons, Walsh had taken the team from being one of the worst to the very best in the NFL. His "West Coast offense" was a huge success.
Walsh coached the 49ers for 10 years. During that time, he won three Super Bowl championships. These wins were in the 1981, 1984, and 1988 seasons. This set a new NFL record.
Walsh was very strict about planning for games. He famously wrote down the first 10-15 offensive plays before each game. His smart play calls and designs earned him the nickname "The Genius." Under Walsh, the 49ers scored more points than any other team in the league.
Besides Joe Montana, Walsh also drafted other future Hall of Fame players. These included Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley, and Jerry Rice. He also traded for Steve Young, who later became a Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the 49ers. Walsh's success led to him being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
On January 22, 1989, Walsh coached his last game with the 49ers. It was Super Bowl XXIII, where San Francisco beat Cincinnati 20–16. Walsh resigned after the game. Years later, he said he regretted leaving so soon.
Walsh's Coaching Influence
His Teachers
Walsh learned from some of the best coaches in football history. He worked as an assistant for American Football League great and Hall of Fame coach Al Davis. He also worked for NFL legend and Hall of Famer Paul Brown. Through Davis, he was influenced by another Hall of Fame coach, Sid Gillman.
His Students
Many of Walsh's assistant coaches went on to become head coaches themselves. These include George Seifert, Mike Holmgren, Ray Rhodes, and Dennis Green. George Seifert took over from Walsh as the 49ers head coach and won two more Super Bowls.
Mike Holmgren won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers. He also led the Packers and the Seattle Seahawks to other Super Bowl appearances. These coaches then taught others who used Walsh's "West Coast offense." Examples include Mike Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, and Gary Kubiak, who won a Super Bowl with the Broncos.
Dennis Green coached Tony Dungy, who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. He also coached Brian Billick, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.
Mike Holmgren also trained many assistants who became head coaches, like Jon Gruden and Andy Reid. Gruden won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Andy Reid coached the Philadelphia Eagles for many years and now coaches the Kansas City Chiefs. He won Super Bowl LIV, Super Bowl LVII, and Super Bowl LVIII with the Chiefs.
Bill Walsh was also a strong supporter of African-American head coaches in football. Because of him, the NFL became more open to hiring African-American coaches. Besides Ray Rhodes and Dennis Green, Tyrone Willingham became a head coach at Stanford, Notre Dame, and Washington.
Later Years and Retirement
After leaving the 49ers, Walsh worked as a sports announcer for NBC. He was part of their main broadcasting team.
During this time, there were rumors that Walsh might coach in the NFL again. The New England Patriots tried to hire him as their head coach and general manager, but he declined. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also tried to get him, but Walsh decided to stay with NBC.
Walsh did return to Stanford as head coach in 1992. He led the Cardinal to a great 10–3 record and shared the Pacific-10 Conference championship. Stanford finished the season ranked #9 in the country. In 1994, after two losing seasons, Walsh left Stanford and retired from coaching for good.
In 1996, Walsh came back to the 49ers in an administrative role. He was the vice president and general manager for the 49ers from 1999 to 2001. After that, he was a special consultant to the team for three years.
In 2004, Walsh became a special assistant at Stanford's athletic department. In 2005, he was named the temporary athletic director. He also helped his old school, San Jose State University, find a new athletic director and head football coach.
Walsh also wrote three books, gave motivational speeches, and taught classes at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was a board member for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, an award for college football players.
Awards and Honors
- 1989 – Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement
- 1993 – Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- 1998 – Inducted into the San Jose State Hall of Fame and received the SJSU Tower Award
Personal Life
Bill Walsh was married to his college sweetheart, Geri. They had three children: Steve, Craig, and Elizabeth.
Death and Legacy
Bill Walsh passed away from leukemia on July 30, 2007, at his home in Woodside, California.
After Walsh's death, the playing field at the former Candlestick Park was renamed "Bill Walsh Field." Also, the yearly football game between San Jose State and Stanford is now called the "Bill Walsh Legacy Game."
Head Coaching Record
College
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford Cardinal (Pacific-8/Pacific-10 Conference) (1977–1978) | |||||||||
| 1977 | Stanford | 9–3 | 5–2 | T–2nd | W Sun | 15 | 15 | ||
| 1978 | Stanford | 8–4 | 4–3 | T–4th | W Astro-Bluebonnet | 16 | 17 | ||
| Stanford Cardinal (Pacific-10 Conference) (1992–1994) | |||||||||
| 1992 | Stanford | 10–3 | 6–2 | T–1st | W Blockbuster | 9 | 9 | ||
| 1993 | Stanford | 4–7 | 2–6 | T–8th | |||||
| 1994 | Stanford | 3–7–1 | 2–6 | T–8th | |||||
| Stanford: | 34–24–1 | 19–19 | |||||||
| Total: | 34–24–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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NFL
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| SF | 1979 | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 4th in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 1980 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3rd in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 1981 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .812 | 1st in NFC West | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XVI champions |
| SF | 1982 | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 11th in NFC | — | — | — | — |
| SF | 1983 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in NFC West | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Washington Redskins in NFC Championship Game |
| SF | 1984 | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 1st in NFC West | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XIX champions |
| SF | 1985 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to New York Giants in NFC Wild Card Game |
| SF | 1986 | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 1st in NFC West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to New York Giants in NFC Divisional Game |
| SF | 1987 | 13 | 2 | 0 | .867 | 1st in NFC West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Minnesota Vikings in NFC Divisional Game |
| SF | 1988 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in NFC West | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XXIII champions |
| SF Total | 92 | 59 | 1 | .609 | 10 | 4 | .714 | |||
| Total | 92 | 59 | 1 | .609 | 10 | 4 | .714 | |||
Books by Bill Walsh
- Bill Walsh and Glenn Dickey, Building a Champion: On Football and the Making of the 49ers. St Martin's Press, 1990. (ISBN: 0-312-04969-2).
- Bill Walsh, Brian Billick and James A. Peterson, Finding the Winning Edge. Sports Publishing, 1998. (ISBN: 1-571-67172-2).
- Bill Walsh with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh, The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership. Penguin Group Publishing, 2009 (ISBN: 978-1-59184-266-8).
See also
In Spanish: Bill Walsh para niños
