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Public Enemy · Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:32 pm NFL mourns coaching great Walsh

From BBC Sport

Pioneering NFL coach Bill Walsh, who guided the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl wins, has died aged 75.
Walsh, who perfected the tactics that became known as the West Coast offence, had been battling against leukemia.
He did not become an NFL head coach until he was 47, but turned the 49ers into a 1980s success story and left an indelible mark on American football.
Walsh's team's won the Super Bowl in 1982, 1985 and 1989, and he was named NFL coach of the year in 1981 and 1984.
Many of his former assistants went on to lead their own teams, handing down his methods and schemes to dozens more coaches.
Under Walsh, the 49ers drafted quarterback Joe Montana, wide receiver Jerry Rice and safety Ronnie Lott - all among the greatest players ever to play at their respective positions.
"For me personally, outside of my dad he was probably the most influential person in my life. I am going to miss him," Montana said in a statement.
Walsh went 102-63 with one tie with the 49ers, winning 10 of his 14 post-season games along with six division titles.