To change the fortunes of the San Francisco 49ers, Bill Walsh changed the expectations.

That went for everyone in the organization.

In 1979, Walsh took over a slumping 49ers team. It was bad enough they had five losing records in six seasons. The team also made terrible trades, including giving up valuable draft choices.

The 49ers dipped to a low in the National Football League, going 2-14 in 1978 and 2-14 again in Walsh's first season.

Walsh, who had been a lead assistant under Paul Brown with the Cincinnati Bengals, had taken inventory of how the top coaches got the best out of those around them.

He found that great coaches have high expectations of everyone while maintaining a positive environment. The expectations extend to players, assistant coaches and player personnel staff.

"The great coaches have demonstrated personal drive, expertise and knowledge," Walsh, 75, told IBD. In return, great coaches expect dedication and concentration.

With that foundation, Walsh set about rebuilding San Francisco's franchise.

The result was a dynasty.

In just his third year at the helm, the 49ers went 16-3 and won the Super Bowl.

Then came two more NFL titles in 1984 and 1988, after which he retired.

With the Walsh system in place, the 49ers tacked on NFL championships in 1989 and 1994.

A Winning Decade

Walsh's record in his 10 seasons as San Francisco's head coach was 102-63-1, a .617 winning percentage, and in 1993 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Walsh did it his way. Whether it was his offensive system or his method of evaluating players, he was a step ahead of his competitors," said Glenn Dickey, a veteran Bay Area sportswriter and author of two books with Walsh.

Walsh wrote in "Building a Champion," with Dickey, that the most successful coaches are also the ones who usually are "actively involved in the on-the-field, day-to-day coaching. Players will sacrifice for a hands-on coach, because they identify with him as an integral part of the team. A head coach who sees his role only as motivating the team and organizing the staff is at the mercy of other people."

The road to an NFL head coaching opportunity wasn't easy for Walsh. For whatever reason, Paul Brown put out the word that Walsh, a proven talent as an offensive assistant, wasn't head coaching material.

Walsh decided the way around that was to take the head coaching position at Stanford University in 1977.

While he took a pay cut from being a pro assistant, it fulfilled his goal of becoming a head coach. After two years at Stanford, going 17-7 with two bowl victories, nobody could question his credentials.

At 47, he finally received his NFL head coaching opportunity.

To turn the 49ers around, Walsh created a businesslike but still positive atmosphere.

"Running a football franchise is not unlike running any other business. You start first with a structural format and basic philosophy, and then find the people who can implement it," Walsh wrote.

He favored the efficiency of an attack he's credited with founding — the West Coast offense, predicated on high-percentage short passes. He felt it was easier to move down the field that way rather than depend on a strong-armed quarterback to make big plays.

"The West Coast offense reflects the factors that Bill holds in the highest regard, preparation, planning, precision and poise," said Baltimore Ravens head coach and former Walsh assistant Brian Billick in "Finding the Winning Edge," which he helped write with Walsh and James Peterson.

Another advantage of Walsh's offense was it kept his defense off the field longer, leaving it fresh at the end of games.

That fed into a key Walsh defensive philosophy, says veteran Sports Illustrated football writer Paul Zimmerman — that of a strong pass rush late in the game when the opponent's offensive linemen were tired.

To find players who could flourish in his system, Walsh evaluated players beyond their physical abilities.

He turned into a leader in that category. Walsh helped develop a 45-minute test that showed how players dealt with authority, stress and taking direction — in addition to their values.

"We wanted a full inventory of the person," Walsh said.

This helped Walsh and the 49ers draft quarterback Joe Montana, defensive back Ronnie Lott and receiver Jerry Rice, who turned into three of the best players in NFL history.

Walsh instilled a mind-set of poise. He wanted players and coaches to stay focused and not become too distraught when things went awry, or too pleased when they went well.

He set that example as head coach, and it rubbed off on his players.

"Even in the most impossible situations, stand tall, keep our heads up . . . demonstrating our pride, dignity and defiance," Walsh wrote. "It's critical under stress to maintain your normal procedures and not disrupt the players further by desperate changes."

The way to develop poise, Walsh believed, was through intense repetition of plays in practice so that timing became second nature.

In addition, Walsh predetermined situations in which certain plays would be used. Such planning takes the pressure out of having to make quick decisions when the elements are a factor, Walsh said. "Try going outside when it's 5 degrees and reach an objective decision that calls for problem solving," he wrote.

The Joe Montana to Dwight Clark touchdown pass that won the January 1982 NFC title game against the Dallas Cowboys may have looked like a broken play, but Walsh had the two players practice it repeatedly for just such a situation.

"(Walsh believes) a contingency plan to handle each situation should be developed," said Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren, a former Walsh assistant, in "Finding the Winning Edge."

Bill, Please

Walsh pushed communication. He believed a sense of humor was important, as was an informality with his players. He was fine with his players calling him by his first name, rather than Coach Walsh.

"To be able to express yourself and exchange with others, and not do it in harsh ways where you grate on the other person, is important in communication. Sense their state of mind when you speak with them. Know not only who you're speaking to, but what their state of mind is and how receptive they are at that time," Walsh said. "My communication skills, my ability to deal with other people effectively, were probably my strengths."
BY MICHAEL MINK