Walsh to Meet Owner on Future : 49er Coach Says They’ll Seek ‘Formula That Works’

Bill Walsh’s future as coach of the San Francisco 49ers likely will be decided in a meeting with team owner Eddie DeBartolo this week.

Walsh said this morning that he and DeBartolo will talk about the team and Walsh’s role with it before making any decisions.

“We want a formula that works,” Walsh said at a news conference less than 12 hours after leading the 49ers to their third Super Bowl victory of the 1980s. “It does not necessarily need that I be the coach. But we’ll see.

“It would be easier to do it (now). But I don’t want to leave and then come back in nine days and say I changed my mind.”

Walsh did single out defensive coordinator George Seifert from what he called “a staff as good as any.”

“The single person who made the difference in our organization was George Seifert,” he said. “He’s the brightest, best tactician of defensive football and the players believe in him. I hope he’s a head coach (next year). He sure deserves it.”

Walsh deserves credit for building the team of the decade. But he wouldn’t put the 49ers in the class of the four-time champion Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s.

“I don’t know who will ever break Chuck Noll and Pittsburgh’s record,” Walsh said. “That was as great a dynasty as any. The only difference (is faces); we did ours with three different teams. They had basically the same nucleus.

“Winning four is not motivating me.”

Just two months ago, Walsh was ready to give up coaching. The 49ers were 6-5 and rumors that he and DeBartolo were at odds had surfaced.

“Ed really was frustrated after two straight losses. We blew a game to Phoenix that we led 23-0 and we were so flat we couldn’t even play against the Raiders the next week. Ed was very upset. I was very upset. But never at each other.

“After the Raiders game (a 9-3 loss), I could’ve told you what my plans were. They were easy.”

They might still be easy, but he isn’t saying yet.