The Philosophy of Bill Walsh

[tk13]

I'm not going to post the whole thing because this is a long, long, long article. Too many great parts to paraphrase it. But it's about Bill Walsh's insane drive to be a perfectionist and a book he wrote that's considered the bible for football coaches to this day. It follows a high school coach that got into coaching because of Andy Reid. It shows how far ahead of his time Bill Walsh was, and features Vermeil, Al Saunders, Belichick, Urban Meyer, Brian Billick and others. If you like football it's a great read.

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL football coach of the past 30 years hated his legacy. He hated it from the moment he retired at age 57, in January 1989, days after winning his third Super Bowl as head coach of the 49ers. Bill Walsh had felt fried for years, and during that last season he was in "a claustrophobic panic," as a friend later described it. Or "just eking by," as his son Craig recalls. That 1988 season had been the most wrenching of his career, because the 49ers were not a great team. They were a 10-6 team that happened to win it all, and the grind swallowed Walsh to the point that he was, as his son says, "like a zombie." So he secretly decided to retire during the season, and in the whooping and wet locker room after the Super Bowl, Walsh wept alone, head in his hands. He wasn't happy. He was relieved. It was over.

That image, of course, doesn't square with the Walsh in old footage: elegant and confident, handsome and professorial, walking a damp Candlestick Park sideline in a sweater and khakis, fog-white hair neatly combed, holding a pencil to his lips as he plotted his next move, which always seemed to be two ahead of his opponent. But that's how he was. He always coached through existential torture, with alternating bouts of believing that he was brilliant and that he was incapable of fulfilling his own idea of greatness.

So it was no surprise that Walsh instantly regretted retiring. Believing that he left at least one Super Bowl on the table, Walsh was "melancholy and terrible," according to Craig. That the 1989 49ers were more dominant in the playoffs under new coach George Seifert than they ever were under Walsh made it worse. Walsh hated that Seifert won a championship that year with his team, his West Coast offense, his philosophy; he so hated the ring that the team awarded him that he gave it away. "He didn't want them to win," Craig says. "He couldn't hand over the team he had created to someone else, because he wasn't capable of it."

He tried broadcasting but quit in 1991. "I'm not going to sit for three hours and let some 27-year-old f-- in my ear tell me about the game," he told Brian Billick, former Ravens coach and one of his many protégés. In 1992 Walsh returned to Stanford, where he had coached in the '70s, but left after two losing seasons in three years, his magic gone. "He needed to be Bill Walsh," Billick says. "He needed to be a genius."

So he decided to write a book.

(Continued...)
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/88...-espn-magazine

[Buzz_TinBalls]

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

I have a hard time considering anything from that era the "greatest" because some teams clearly got it and were so ahead of the curve (like the 49ers) and some teams were the Jets...and there was no salary cap and the parity was really, really low.

Today...the best of the best still rise to the top but the playing field is totally level. Back then, it wasn't.

so, you think there was merely one team -- the 49ers of that era that was the "greatest" and the other teams couldn't compete. that is hilarious.

Reminds me of my niece, who recently stated "animation started in the nineties and is getting really good now".

[KC Tattoo]

Originally Posted by EagleRob

I bought Finding the Winning Edge at a used book store in Virginia in 2002 while falling in love with Reid and McNabb in Philly. Absorbed it cover to cover - everything from how to run a football team from setting up the front office, coaching staff, evaluating QBs and other positions for the WCO, and even how to organize meetings, gamedays, and handling press conferences.

YOU ALL NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. It's Reid's system.

In 2003 I found a local men's flag football league here in Northern VA. I started a team with guys from work and I implemented the system (except the press conferences) and went out to the league message board to find more players. We held practices year round, played in spring leagues, fall leagues, and tournaments in the winter and summer. I got that team to win the local league twice and went to the Virginia State Tourney twice before losing in the Elite Eight round in a field of 64 teams the third year (2006). At that point my wife and I had child number three and she told me it was time to stop being a child.

Bottom line: Great book for the WCO obsessed - and yes - all of you are.

[EagleRob]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

No doubt! I think it was $8 or so at the time. I suppose as the 36000 copies slowly whittle away, it may increase in value.

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by GoWalrus

Thinking Jake Plummer was going to be awesome must have killed him.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

This is a cool story.

At the end of the 1987 season, for example, San Francisco met the Minnesota Vikings in a playoff game. Minnesota was vastly underrated and San Francisco had tired and become stale during their two weeks of preparation.

During the game, we fell behind and were unable to move the ball. I sensed that, in addition to not having the protection he needed, Joe Montana was not at his best.

In the middle of the third quarter, I knew what I had to do. On one hand, it was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make, but on the other
hand, it was also very easy. I decided to pull Joe and insert Steve Young at quarterback.

Because of the lack of pass protection, I believed Steve's incredible mobility as a quarterback might spark the team and turn the game around. But I was
still pulling perhaps the greatest quarterback in the history of football out of a playoff game.

I knew that fans would be outraged and that the media would forever criticize and second guess my decision if the 49ers lost. I also knew the experience
would be traumatic for Joe.

Despite all the potential drawbacks, my decision was simple. I was the head coach and I was responsible for making appropriate decisions, even if I knew I
would be condemned by others. I had no alternative.

I was aware of the possibility that Steve might fare no better than Joe, but we were down to a "one game season" and something had to be done quickly for us to have any chance of winning. I made the change.

When Joe came off the field, I put my arm around him, explained why I had replaced him, and told him I cared about him. Steve did spark the team, and
we became more competitive but still lost. As the coach, I had to make the tough decision and then live with it.

As I expected, I was criticized for some time regarding that decision. It also fueled a quarterback controversy early the next season. If I had taken the easy way out, letting Joe stay in the game and then be criticized for not playing up to par, I would not have been fulfilling my responsibilities as the head coach.

[Buzz_TinBalls]

ya, I remember that game. the 49ers were sleepwalking through that game & Steve Young did put points on the board by running it in for a TD. But, it wasn't enough. It was an awkward moment in football. The 49ers were in the playoffs with Joe, and they were not playing good at all.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

There's so much interesting shit in here.

The head coach must pull back even a step further than the coordinators. You must have the encompassing perspective of all. It is your responsibility to make sure the
offense, defense and special teams interact together to maintain the balance that is needed to achieve any type of sustained success in the NFL.

On occasion, you may have to constantly remind your coordinators that, in and of itself, finishing high in the league statistical standings has little or no value except as it
pertains to the overall goal of winning and losing. The proper distance you need to accomplish this task is wholly subjective and hard to quantify.

It is also important that you keep things in perspective when considering whether to accept the advice and input of your assistant coaches. For example, if, for
whatever reason, you are overanxious, desperate or not thinking calmly or clearly, you may be unduly susceptible to taking advice or directions from assistant coaches
who are in a similar emotional upheaval as you.

The problem arises from the fact that your assistant coaches don't have anything to lose, relatively speaking. As the head coach, you are rightfully responsible and
accountable for all decisions. You must answer to the owner of the team, to the media, and to your staff. Most of all, however, you must answer to the team.

Successful coaches realize that a winning team is not run by a single individual who dominates the work environment and reduces the rest of the group to marionettes.

Winning teams are more like open forums in which everyone participates in the decisionmaking
process — coaches and players alike — until a decision is made.

Although everyone must know who (i.e., the head coach) is in command, the head coach should behave democratically. Once a decision is made, the team must then
be firmly committed to implementing the plan as intended.

During 49ers games, my coaches and I always tried to respond to what the players said. We knew we needed their input because often it made a difference.

An example occurred in a game against New Orleans in 1987. I told the team at halftime
that we would call one particular pass play when we got inside the Saints'
30yard
line. For whatever reason, I simply didn't think of sending in the play when we got into that situation.

On the sideline, Steve Young, who at the time was our backup quarterback to Joe Montana, immediately reminded me of my halftime
announcement. Fortunately, he
wasn't a bit hesitant about doing so.

I called the play, and we scored. I couldn't worry about being embarrassed because I had forgotten what I said in the locker room. Only the result of the game
mattered. We all wanted to win.

Communication is absolutely critical to this process. For example, if you are somewhat uncomfortable walking through your team's locker room, you may be losing

your ability to communicate with the players. At the very least, you probably haven't developed or enhanced your ability to interact with the players as well as you
should have.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

***** fail here:

As you cultivate relationships with other individuals, you must also try to avoid making enemies and learn to coexist
with your adversaries.

You should understand that even those people who do harm to you may be people with whom you have to do business at some point in the future.

As long as someone is a potential business contact, you should make every reasonable effort to keep the lines of communication open and maintain a civilized
relationship.

You should be the one to initiate communication following a conflict, even if the other person misunderstood you or wrongfully ridiculed you. While it may certainly be
appropriate (depending on circumstances) to confront those who purposely insult you or do you harm, you should avoid conflict.

You must be astute enough to avoid becoming the loser in such situations. By being sensitive to inherent hazards of a hostile relationship, you can give yourself a
chance to win the person over to having at least a "neutral" association with you.

The reality of the situation is that regardless of the reason behind an extremely adversarial relationship, such a relationship can have negative consequences. In turn, by
minimizing the forces working against you, you do away with resultant distractions and free your mind to focus on your work.

[Ebolapox]

Feels like Sun Tzu's Art of War--Football edition.

[scott free]

Originally Posted by Ebolapox

Feels like Sun Tzu's Art of War--Football edition.

Thats no lie, i hope Andy Reid is currently in the middle of his 16th reading of it.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

And this was why ***** failed. Even Carl got this with Herm and Dick.

• The head coach must be placed as the central figure in the organization, regardless of whether he is the top executive or decision maker.

The players must know that the head coach is in complete command of the
team (and their destiny) or he and his assistants may have difficulties getting them to respond appropriately.

An organization must not attempt to manage the team from the second level
administrative wing.

Effective management must occur at the ground level by those (i.e., the coaching staff) who deal with the players on a
daytoday, face to face basis.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

***** sure read this part!

Maintaining Confidentiality Within the Organization

The need for strict confidentiality concerning specific matters and circumstances within the organization is critical. Surprisingly, many clubs fail to place a sufficient
amount of emphasis on this factor.

One organization which has addressed the issue in a serious way is the Oakland Raiders. Traditionally, the Raiders have had a reputation for an absolute (some
individuals would claim—paranoiac) policy of extreme secrecy.

While many people have scoffed at and ridiculed this seemingly unnecessary organizational stance, the Raiders' approach makes much more business sense than the
policies of the large majority of NFL franchises (indeed, of most professional sports organizations).

In reality, the layers of employees who have access to critical internal information is often farreaching.

Disturbingly, because many of these individuals would like to
have others believe that they have a heightened degree of importance within the organization, they inherently can't control the urge to divulge sensitive information.

The net result is an almost complete loss of confidentiality in the organization. In the process, the organization's decisionmakers
are disarmed and severely
compromised.

Even offhand
remarks gossiped from one secondlevel
employee to another can have negative consequences. The employee who was the recipient of the gossip then
proudly takes the information (often after embellishing it) to his/her decision maker.

Such a loose, apparently uncontrollable environment makes it very difficult to coordinate and successfully implement organizational strategies. When everybody knows
everything that "might" occur within an organization, disturbing and disruptive scenarios can arise.

Accordingly, the organization's general manager (CEO), DOO and head coach must precisely define and institute a policy that makes a breach of confidentiality a
"capital offense."

Such a breach will result in the offending employee losing his/her job.

Because leaking information or personal assessments to the media or to another organization by a single employee can figuratively bring a club to its knees, a
concerted effort must be made to minimize the likelihood of such a problem occurring.

In this regard, it is critical that the organization has a written policy on confidentiality, engages in an ongoing internal discussion of the importance of the matter, and is
alert to potential sources that may violate organizational policy in this area. No exceptions should be allowed or tolerated toward the organization's policy on
confidentiality.

[tk13]

I look forward to the chapter on candy wrappers in the workplace.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

Oh man. Andre Rison reference.

A few weeks later, the season ended, the Jets' coach was fired and his offensive coordinator got the opportunity to go job hunting. Although he was an excellent man, the Jets' head coach contributed to his own downfall. He had no plan to deal with using the clock to control the final moments of the game.

A somewhat similar situation confronted the Oakland Raiders in a recent game. The Raiders, after playing a great all around game, lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on the final play of the game. Two actions by the Raiders contributed to their own downfall—Oakland's failure to run more time off the clock on their last possession and being in a poorly suited coverage in the last ten seconds of the game.

As a result, the Chiefs had one last shot at the end zone from the Raiders' thirty yard line. Kansas City proceeded to win the game on a beautifully executed throw and catch. The point to remember is that Kansas City should never have had that opportunity. Mistakenly, the media blamed a Raider cornerback.

All too often, those incredible come from behind victories that occur in the last seconds could have been avoided if the losing team had only employed better tactics on their last possession or even their last two possessions.

Teams, in time sensitive situations, have to be able to run time off the clock. They also have to know exactly what type of defensive coverage is appropriate for a given situation.