Bill Walsh has passed away [merged]

[zippo59]

A sad farewell to a legend of the game.

 

[Tunescribe]

I admired him as well. He always seemed to be calm and in control, and truly brilliant.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Just as admirable as a head coach who could architect brilliant game plans every Sunday was his ability to draft and replenish a roster with talent and compete annually for a Superbowl. Remember, he used the Pats #17 pick in 1986 for Jerry Rice. You can make the case that it was easier back then to keep a good team, but I'll say it was equally as hard because you had the outstanding Cowboy, Bears, Giants and Eagles teams to contend with on an annual basis.

If memory serves, they stunk in 80 and won it in 81. Stunk in 82 and went to the NFC title game in 83 They won it in 84. Made the Playoffs in 85, 85 and in the scab year of 87 went 13-2. They came back in 88 to win it all and after stepping down in the offseason, his annointed heir George Seiffert won it in 89 and lost to the G-men in 1990 NFC title game. That stretch of competitiveness is incredible.

If you have some time, check out the names her drafted over the years.

http://www.databasefootball.com/draft/draftteam.htm?tm=SFO&lg=NFL

He plucked 8 starters in the 1988 draft. Unpreccedented.

RIP Bill.

 

[Bigdogx]

Always a class act and a coaching legend imo, rest in peace Mr. Walsh.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Bill Walsh was a coaching giant at the time when I first started to follow football.

His great talents as an innovator and teacher apart, I think that he was one of the first NFL coaches to show that you could be tough, competitive and successful without being a bully or a megalomaniac. He is a man I would have liked to have known.

 

[wistahpatsfan]

Amazing to see virtually no controversy about Coach Walsh. He was so admired and loved by his players and coaches that no one can come up with a single negative thing about him. The absolute worst thing I've heard about him is that he might have quit the 49ers too early, and that's actually a positive more than a negative thing. He might have gone on to win at least two more SB's had he stayed on.