Ex 49-ers Coach Walsh Dies At 75

Hall of Famer battled leukemia since 2004
By Jesse Andrews,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 30, 2007 7:02 PM CDT
Ex 49-ers Coach Walsh Dies At 75
San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh is hoisted on the shoulders of his team after they defeated the Miami Dolphins 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX in this Jan. 20, 1985 file photo, at Stanford, Stadium, in Palo Alto, Calif. Stanford University has said that Walsh, a Hall of Fame football coach who guided the...   (Associated Press)

Bill Walsh, known as  "The Genius" in football circles for leading the San Francisco 49ers to three NFL championships, has died. He was 75.

Walsh, who had been in failing health in recent months, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004.

Walsh was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. He leaves behind an indelible legacy on professional football as a coach, teacher and innovator. He took over a horrid San Francisco team in 1979 and turned it into a dominant team in the '80s. Under Walsh's leadership, the 49ers won three Super Bowl championships and six NFC West division titles. During his 10 seasons as coach, the 49ers went 102-63-1.

Walsh died of leukemia at his home in Woodside, California, with family members by his side. (More obituary stories.)

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