BILL WALSH: 1931-2007

by Orson on Jul 30, 2007 4:43 PM EDT

Bill Walsh: 1931-2007.

Bill Walsh, pro and college football coach and inventor of the West Coast offense, dead at 75.

Walsh did attain legendary status as a head coach in the pros, but Walsh's collegiate resume did include a 17-17-1 stint at Stanford. His greatest legacy, the short-pass, horizontal-stretch West Coast offense, has had a limited impact on the collegiate level in its pure form, most likely because of its demanding precision and reliance on extremely aggressive NFL defenses working against it. Many of the phantom fakes and quick moves of the system anticipate elite talent working against it; at the collegiate level, that's simply not the norm. And the pinpoint hooks and slants of the passing attack elude the grasp of most college qbs.

The basic nuts and bolts of the system, though, have certainly found their way into the collegiate playcalling lexicon. The Northwestern spread and the spread option both rely on quick passes on short routes combined with frequent screen/draw plays to keep the defense discombobulated. These ideas have long been in place in football, but never have they been so eloquently articulated in a single system as in the hands of Bill Walsh during his tenure with the 49ers.

The simplicity was lethal, as anyone who's ever watched a defense bled to death off draws, counters, and quick slants and four yard hitch routes will testify. Bill Callahan, Paul Hackett, and even non-Walsh-tree coaches like Charlie Weis owe their offensive legerdemain to the San Francisco professor. Walsh also became famous for scripting his first 15 to 20 plays, a practice now commonplace with most offensive coordinators even at the college level.

At his best, Bill Walsh did the work of a gridiron mathematician, icily dissecting defenses and seeing space and opportunity where others merely saw risk. He was, for a great long while, football's most beautiful mind, and his system a balletic refutation of the charge that football was a sport of brute over brains. Critics often claimed he saw himself as a genius. If his professional record was any indication, he was correct.

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Some coaches and journalists might disagree with your explanation of the source(s) and meaning(s) of the “West Coast Offense,” as Dr Z says here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/dr_z/news/1999/10/28/inside_football/

by Kevin on Jul 30, 2007 4:53 PM EDT reply actions

Met him at a sports dinner..Had I not known I never would have guessed him as a football coach, he was so mild and soft spoken..what a great guy and a wonderful gentleman I will always remember.

by Ed Beran on Jul 30, 2007 4:55 PM EDT reply actions

Proof of Walsh’s genius was that even George Seifart won with his system and players. Once ol’ George came here to Charlotte, he was revealed for the second-rate coach that he was.

Also seem to remember he taught some guy named Elway a thing or two.

by yoyofutbawl on Jul 30, 2007 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

small interrupt for UGA fulmer cup contribution:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=rivals-144883&prov=rivals&type=lgns

by Brian on Jul 30, 2007 5:01 PM EDT reply actions

Sad day in football. A true innovator in his field and was, in his heyday, years ahead of the other offensive coaches in the NFL. Rest in Peace Coach Walsh.

by Stockman on Jul 30, 2007 5:10 PM EDT reply actions

jesus, i found out about ingmar bergman this morning, tom snyder at lunchtime and walsh this afternoon. i’m just hoping lou reed survives dinner.

by kleph on Jul 30, 2007 5:16 PM EDT reply actions

If you’re worried you might not make the cut, today is not a day to die because things at the pearly gates are busy with good guys going in.

by jebushchrist on Jul 30, 2007 5:25 PM EDT reply actions

How can you tell when someone has made a lasting impact? When other people attribute anything tangentially related to his creation as being that creation, even when under careful scrutiny it is revealed that it is clearly not. I wanted to shoot the guy who once called Hal Mumme’s Kentucky offense “The West Coast.”

RIP Bill. You were to the short pass what Spurrier is to the deep throw.

by Year2-Dave on Jul 30, 2007 5:28 PM EDT reply actions

Brute over brawn? Unless that’s subtle product placement, I’m missing something.

by HFS on Jul 30, 2007 5:41 PM EDT reply actions

Very few people have changed the way the game is played. He was one of them. RIP Coach.

by JoesDeliGatorTail on Jul 30, 2007 5:47 PM EDT reply actions

Beautiful.

Although when measuring his impact, I think the real question is, how many players script their first 15-20 plays on NCAA Football ’0X?

by Herb on Jul 30, 2007 5:47 PM EDT reply actions

Fixed, dammit.

by Orson Swindle on Jul 30, 2007 5:51 PM EDT reply actions

the name “west coast offense” does get tossed around rather liberally, but it is safe to say that no matter what you call it, walsh changed the way offense is played.

by gerry dorsey on Jul 30, 2007 5:52 PM EDT reply actions

don’t worry, orson. walsh’s passing has been hell on copy editors. the SF Chronicle obit has him, " teamed with Dick Enberg for three seasons as the network’s top analyst on NFL and Notre Dave telecasts." (my italics)

by kleph on Jul 30, 2007 6:14 PM EDT reply actions

Also in the obit mix is one Marvin Zindler, newscaster from Houston. He is the scourge of Aggies everywhere, and probably ‘Horns too, as he received complaints about a certain ranch in LaGrange, TX. Ultimattely Marvin’s reporting led to the demise of the Chicken Ranch, and Dom Deluise did not do him justice in the move “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Even as recently as 8 months ago, he was on television, calling out the restaurants that had roach dropiings and slime in the ice machine.

by Southern Papa on Jul 30, 2007 7:13 PM EDT reply actions

Bill Walsh was 34-24-1 while coaching at Stanford, you appear to only have his record from his second stint there (1992-94), he was also the head coach in 1978 and 79.

by eric on Jul 30, 2007 7:57 PM EDT reply actions

I’m gonna have to hook up the Genesis tonight and play some Bill Walsh College Football ’94. Triple Option Right.

by Lumpkin rhymes with Blumpkin on Jul 31, 2007 9:55 AM EDT reply actions

Truly an innovator. Would be interesting to look at what percentage of NFL HC’s and coordinators are from the “walsh tree” ,as Orson put it.

by tzubear on Jul 31, 2007 2:08 PM EDT reply actions

Here is a quote from #1’s link:

“Push the ball downfield, work the seams, hit the receiver on the break. Everything timed to the max, every step carefully charted, receivers and QB all working together. And a punishing ground game to back it up.”

This quote makes me think of two words, Steve Spurrier.

Mark it down, he will beat UF this year.

War Eagle!

by PA_Tiger on Jul 31, 2007 4:41 PM EDT reply actions