Nowhere but everywhere

Sporting News, The, July 10, 1995 by Ira Miller

He is the Dear Abby of the NFL, churning out advice to one and all. Need help organizing a franchise? Or recommendations on hiring coaches? Plays for your playbook? Need a quarterback schooled? Problems setting up a coaching schedule? Planning a career move? In football? Or outside football?

Just call 1-800-Bill.

Bill Walsh will answer, and assistance will be on the way. More than six years removed from his last Super Bowl championship as coach of the 49ers, Walsh is nowhere, and yet he is everywhere. From his headquarters in one of those tony suburban office parks in the hills south of San Francisco, Walsh keeps a phone and fax machine running constantly. He may be gone from the NFL, but his influence is felt more strongly than ever throughout the league.

Almost half the teams in the NFL use at least some of the plays in the offense that made Walsh's reputation with the 49ers. Six of the head coaches in the league once worked for Walsh with the 49ers -- two others worked for the 49ers after Walsh left -- and several other teams have some of Walsh's influence on their staffs. This spring, Walsh ran a finishing school for quarterbacks that turned out, among others, Kerry Collins, the first-round draft pick of the Panthers. And Walsh helped write the rules and offensive playbooks for the reborn World League.

After more than two years as Joe Montana's private confidant and advisor, Walsh was emcee at Montana's public-retirement announcement. The NFL recently has solicited Walsh's advice on topics as diverse as rules presentations to players, safety and the league's relationship with high school football programs. He also is working with the league and the players' association on plans to establish post-career seminars to help players ease the move out of football.

In the half-year since his hoped-for triumphal return to college coaching at Stanford ended sourly, Walsh was the liaison trying to make a deal for Dick Vermeil to coach the Eagles. He also advised Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie, who had expressed interest in hiring Walsh in an administrative role, and new Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan at length on structuring their organizations. And Walsh advised the Rams on their coaching search, which led to Oregon's Rich Brooks.

There also were discussions with the Seahawks, who talked to Walsh about taking a job as a part-time boss with undefined responsibilities. (He would have lived in the Bay Area and commuted to Seattle.) But that idea, pushed by Ken Hofmann, the Seahawks' minority owner, died of its own weight, which Walsh says was fortunate. "It probably wouldn't have been a very effective agreement," Walsh says. "I'm not sure that kind of thing works out."

Hardly a day goes by that Walsh doesn't hear from former players who seek career counseling. In June, he had a two-day seminar for 12 coaches, mostly within the NFL, covering everything from offensive concepts to team administration. Walsh's original idea was to spread the gospel among teams who run his style of offense, but others found it useful, too.

Bills Coach Marv Levy, who doesn't run the so-called "West Coast offense" but still sent Tom Bresnahan, his offensive coordinator, says: "We play the 49ers. It would help to understand their offense somewhat, and I think anything you can glean, particularly from people with good football minds, is valuable."

In his spare time, Walsh is in demand for motivational speeches. Also possibly in the works, are instructional videos and an instructional book. So much for a low-key retirement.

"The biggest thing is all the people I've known and coached and are now in their careers," Walsh says. "I spend more time with that than anything else. We get 10 calls in a day with guys wanting recommendations or just having questions."

Levy says, "Bill is energetic and he's enterprising, and a lot of people have sought his help. He wants to stay in the game and has something to offer, and I think he's been enterprising in thinking how he can offer his expertise."

The dynasty that Walsh spent the '80s putting together with the 49ers is, at last report, still purring along smoothly on the momentum he gave it, with much of his offense intact. Walsh is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and, according to those who know him well, doesn't need money. Relatively late in life he has embraced golf. In June, he played the Old Course at St. Andrews for the first time and shot a respectable 90.

So why doesn't he just kick back and enjoy retirement?

"It's too early to kick back," says Walsh, 63. "You can't just figure you're going to kick back for the next 15 years."

Plus, Walsh might not be able to kick back, even if he wanted to, because of those people tugging at him for help and/or advice. White, who worked with Walsh at California and Stanford and for him with the 49ers, says Walsh still has too much to offer to football just to walk away. And though Walsh doesn't miss the pressure of the NFL or the headaches of college recruiting, few things turn him on like being able to teach the game. "I don't want to give up the technical football," he says.