Bill Walsh (American football coach)

Bill Walsh

Walsh (left) with Dick Tomey at San Jose State in 2007
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1931-11-30)November 30, 1931
Place of birth:	Los Angeles, California
Date of death:	July 30, 2007(2007-07-30) (aged 75)
Place of death:	Woodside, California
Career information
College:	San Jose State
Career history
As coach:
California (1960–1962) Receivers coach Stanford (1963–1965) Defensive backs coach Oakland Raiders (1966) Running backs coach San Jose Apaches (1967) Head coach Cincinnati Bengals (1968–1975) Assistant coach San Diego Chargers (1976) Offensive coordinator Stanford (1977–1978) Head coach San Francisco 49ers (1979–1988) Head coach Stanford (1992–1994) Head coach San Francisco 49ers (1999–2001) Vice president and general manager San Francisco 49ers (2002–2004) Consultant
Career highlights and awards
3× Super Bowl champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII) 2× NFL Coach of the Year (1981, 1984) NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Pac-8 Coach of the Year (1977) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (2008)
Career NFL statistics
Win–loss record: 92–59–1 Winning %: .609 Games coached: 152
Coaching stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame

William Ernest Walsh (November 30, 1931 – July 30, 2007) was an American football coach. He served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal football team, 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.

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.

Born in Los Angeles, Walsh played running back in the San Francisco Bay Area for Hayward High School in Hayward. Walsh played quarterback at the College of San Mateo for two seasons. Both John Madden and Walsh played and coached at the College of San Mateo early in their careers. After playing at the College of San Mateo, Walsh transferred to San Jose State University, where he played tight end and defensive end. He also participated in intercollegiate boxing. Walsh graduated from San Jose State with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1955.

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