Bill Walsh has died. He didn’t fit the traditional stereotype of a cigar-chomping larger-than-life extrovert, perhaps the reason no NFL club would give him a head-coaching job until he was in his late 40’s. When a desperate young owner from Cleveland came calling after a series of disastrous trades and coach-management feuds, the 49er position was perhaps the least desirable job in the National Football League. The rest is history.
Bill Walsh has been a fixture of the Bay Area scene for most of his life, coaching at San Jose State, Washington High in Fremont, Stanford, and, of course, the 49ers. His Stanford record made us mildly hopeful that San Francisco would field a respectable product, and the Niners gradually improved to 6-10 in 1980.
Nothing prepared us for the miraculous 1981 championship season. The emotion felt was one of joy, but above all astonishment that the perennial losers, teasers, and disappointers finally did it. He and his teams have left us with wonderful memories. Thank you, Coach. You were a true genius. © 2007 Stephen Yuen
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