Bill Walsh, a legend, has passed away

The former San Francisco 49ers HC Bill Walsh has died at the age of 75 after battling leukemia the past few years. Walsh was a legend, a master of using short, precisely timed passes to control the ball in what became known as the West Coast offense. Walsh, the 49ers head coach from 1979 to 1988, guided the 49ers to three Super Bowl championships and six NFC West division titles in his 10 years as head coach.  However Walsh means so much more to the NFL than simply the 'West Coast Offense' or titles. 

To the Bay Area Bill Walsh created a sports dynasty.  To the NFL, he revolutionized the way folks approached offense and the building of their teams.  And lastly, to minority coaches, he created the first association to help promote and get minorities hired in the NFL, the first of its kind and the same program that was eventually adopted by the NFL itself. 

"It's not just how he prepared his teams and his attention to detail and his training camps that all of football is still emulating," Willingham told ESPN's Joe Schad on Monday. "As a minority coach, here is a guy who stood on a table and said, 'A door should be opened.' His impact is so far beyond football. He opened a door worldwide that made a better America, not just a better American football."

The tributes to Bill Walsh on ESPN have been touching and are a stark reminder of how important the man was to the NFL, the 49'ers, sports affirmative action and the grace he displayed.  Without Walsh, the 49'ers could be no different than the Arizona Cardinals - just another sorry west coast NFL franchise without championship history.  Here's to arguably the most innovative coach in NFL history.