Football Loses a Great One: Bill Walsh 1931-2007

Former San Francisco 49ers and Stanford Cardinal coach Bill Walsh died yesterday at the age of 75 after a battle with leukemia.  Walsh won three Super Bowls with the 49ers and was a great innovator in the game of football.  He changed the way offenses were run and was one of the best when it came to finding talent.

Walsh's first Super Bowl title actually came at the Pontiac Silverdome in Super Bowl XVI.  That was just his third season as coach of the 49ers, but already he was winning a Super Bowl.

One of the most interesting things about Bill Walsh is the legacy he leaves behind each week on the football field in terms of his coaching tree.  It truly is unbelievable to see how many well-known coaches today actually are apart of Walsh's coaching tree.  Lions coach Rod Marinelli actually is on that list.  He came from Tony Dungy's staff, who came from Dennis Green's staff, who ultimately came from Bill Walsh.

For more on the great Bill Walsh, please visit Niners Nation.