Bill Walsh was a Head Coach for the San Francisco 49ers and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Walsh started his head coaching career at Stanford University from 1977-1978 and again from 1992-1994. He joined the pro ranks with the Oakland Raiders of the AFL in 1966 then to the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968. Walsh bounced around the AFL then back to college, but finally landed a stable job as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 1979.
Fast Facts:
- Born: November 30, 1931
- Birth Place: Los Angeles, California
- College San Jose State
- Invented the West Coach Offense
- Three-Time Super Bowl Champion
- Died: July 30, 2007
- 1993: Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Hired George Seifert, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, Ray Rhodes, and Dennis Green
Early Years
Born in Los Angeles, California, Walsh played football at San Jose State University. Although not skilled enough to make the pro ranks, he went on to coach at Washington High School in Fremont, California. He was later hired by fellow Hall of Famer Marv Levy as an assistant at the University of California, Berkley.
Coaching in the NFL
In 1979 Bill Walsh came to San Francisco to coach the 49ers. It was there that he granted Joe Montana the starting job at quarterback and developed the West Coast Offense. With the precise design of the offensive scheme, the 49ers were able to win three Super Bowls under Walsh. Walsh retired from football in 1994. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004, of which he later died from in 2006. Walsh was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
Bill Walsh Vital Stats
- Mahalo's Guide to the San Francisco 49ers
- Pro Football Reference.com : Coaching Stats
- Career Record: 92 wins - 59 Loses -1 tie
- Career Post Season Record- 10 wins- 4 loses
- First Year as Head Coach: 1979
