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Image via 49ersparadise.com
Yesterday, the gentleman who came to be called The Genius passed away from leukemia at the age of 75.
The importance of Bill Walsh to San Francisco sports, and the whole of the National Football League, cannot be overstated. He changed the game. He changed the sports landscape of the Bay Area. And he did it in a way that no one had ever done before: the philosophy of attack that became known as the West Coast Offense.
An innovator, a brilliant motivator, a ferociously-focused competitor with a sly sense of humor, Walsh was the man who rebuilt the San Francisco 49ers into the greatest American football organization that the NFL had yet seen.
Rare is the man who can outpace his own disappointment. Walsh chafed at being an NFL assistant for more years than he expected. He wanted to run his own squad. When he finally got his shot as a head coach in 1979 with the sad-sack 49ers, he was 47. It was later in the day than he'd expected to run a team.
He made up for dues paid with steely efficiency, leading the Niners to the Super Bowl in just three seasons through astute personnel moves and his inspired coaching. This stunning accomplishment brought cheering throngs to the victory parade down Market Street, and laid the foundation for the 49er dynasty that would stretch out over the next decade.
A former boxer, The Genius loved to use fighters' metaphors. I WILL NOT BE OUT HIT ANY TIME THIS SEASON read a sign on a wall inside the Niner locker room in the '80s. Hit 'em first, hit 'em hard, and knock 'em out.
What is often forgotten in the retelling is that, for all the finesse of the West Coast Offense's passing attack, Walsh's teams were built on a bedrock of aggressive defense and strong running. His franchise would out-think, out-hustle, and out-scrap their opponents.
Tough, smart, and pugnacious; while he coached them, the 49er team was a very extension of Walsh's philosophy. And The Genius led them to unprecedented levels of success. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 1993.
Today's National Football League -- littered with Bill's students -- is still trying to catch up. The Bay Area, filled with 49er fans, will not forget the man who brought us so many happy seasons.
Thanks, Bill. Good luck on your next head coaching position.
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An old teacher of mine was a cheerleader when Walsh was coaching the Washington High football team in Fremont. She said that Walsh required the cheerleaders to attend a Football 101 class where he taught them the basics of the game because, for example, he didn't want them leading cheers while his quarterback was trying to call an audible.