III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 290 

Honoring the life and career of former San Francisco 49ers Head Coach 

Bill Walsh. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2007 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. BOXER) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life and career of former San Francisco 49ers 

Head Coach Bill Walsh. 

Whereas William Ernest Walsh was born on November 30, 

1931, in Fremont, California; 

Whereas Bill Walsh graduated from San Jose State University in 1955 where he was a successful amateur boxer 

and wide receiver; 

Whereas, in 1955, he married Geri Nadini, with whom he 

had 3 children: Steve, Craig, and Elizabeth; 

Whereas Bill Walsh began his coaching career at Washington 

High School in Fremont, California, and later served as 

an assistant coach at the University of California at 

Berkeley and Stanford University; 


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•SRES 290 ATS 

Whereas Bill Walsh served as an assistant coach with the 

Oakland Raiders in 1966, with the Cincinnati Bengals 

from 1968 to 1975, and with the San Diego Chargers in 

1976; 

Whereas Bill Walsh served as head coach of Stanford University from 1977 to 1978 and again from 1992 to 1994, 

winning the Sun Bowl in 1977, the Bluebonnet Bowl in 

1978, and the Blockbuster Bowl in 1992; 

Whereas Bill Walsh became Head Coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 1979 and served in that position for 10 

years, winning 6 Western Division titles and 3 National 

Football Conference Championships; 

Whereas Bill Walsh led the 49ers to 3 Super Bowl wins in 

the 1980s: Super Bowl XVI, Super Bowl XIX, and Super 

Bowl XXIII; 

Whereas Bill Walsh was the Associated Press and United 

Press International Coach of the Year in 1981; 

Whereas Bill Walsh ended his professional coaching career 

with a record of 102 wins, 63 losses, and 1 tie; 

Whereas Bill Walsh was elected to the Pro Football Hall of 

Fame in 1993; 

Whereas Bill Walsh developed the innovative ‘‘West Coast Offense’’, which became widely used by many National 

Football League (NFL) teams; 

Whereas Bill Walsh drafted and developed a countless number of NFL greats such as Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, 

Dwight Clark, Steve Young, and Jerry Rice; 

Whereas 14 of the NFL’s 32 head coaches have some connection to Bill Walsh; 


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•SRES 290 ATS 

Whereas Bill Walsh developed the Minority Coaching Fellowship program to help African American coaches find jobs 

in the NFL and Division I college football; 

Whereas Bill Walsh and the 49ers brought the people of San 

Francisco together following some of the most difficult 

times in the city’s history and gave them much pride, joy, 

and excitement; and 

Whereas Bill Walsh embodied the qualities of hard work, tenacity, dedication, attention to detail, respect, teamwork, 

and living up to one’s potential: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate honors the life of William 

2 Ernest Walsh, a pioneer in the field of football, a true 

3 leader and teacher, and a dedicated husband, father, and 

4 friend. 

Æ 


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