Bill Walsh 1931-2007

With his calm comportment on the sidelines and silver hair tucked under his headset, Walsh looked more chemistry professor than football coach. And what a wonderful formula he created: short, surgical passes that controlled the game, the so-called West Coast offense, since copied across the continent. Walsh's 49ers won three Super Bowls in the 1980s; off the field, he started a coaching fellowship for minorities. His great regret was quitting at his peak, in 1989, after the last Super Bowl win. Sure, Walsh could have clinched more titles. But he had long changed the game for good.