Bill Walsh | 1931-2007
As an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bengals, Bill Walsh, left, worked with Paul Brown, right, one of the great coaches in an an earlier era of the NFL. (Brian Horton / AP)
Players carry Walsh off the field after the 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium. Before going to the 49ers, he was the head coach at Stanford University. (J. Storey / Allsport)
Walsh was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 31, 1993, in Canton, Ohio. I went into coaching with the resolve that my coaching career wouldnt be a disappointment to me, Walsh once told the Saturday Evening Post. So I worked doubly hard at it. (Bruce Zake / AP)
After his second stint at Stanford, Walsh returned to the 49ers as a consultant and, eventually, as general manager. (Otto Greule / Allsport)
Walsh joined Montana when the quarterback’s number was retired during a halftime ceremony during a 49ers game in San Francisco. (Paul Sakuma / AP)
Walsh with his friend and Bay Area rival, Raiders owner Al Davis, before an exhibition game in Oakland. (Paul Sakuma / AP)
After serving as general manager of the 49ers for 1999 and 2000 seasons, Walsh stepped down but said he would continue with the team as a consultant. (Paul Sakuma / AP)
Walsh wasn’t known as firebrand coach. “We just quietly went about our business, and I do think people resented that. They wanted confrontation, and they didnt get it until we played, he said. (Paul Sakuma / AP)
