Walsh was born in Los Angeles in 1931 and was a high school football running back. He played college football as quarterback at San Mateo for two years and then transferred to San Jose State University and played as defensive and tight end. After graduating in 1955 with a physical education degree, he joined the Spartan's coaching staff under Bob Bronson as a graduate assistant coach. Later, he graduated in 1959 with a master's degree in physical education. His thesis interestingly enough was titled “Defensing the Pro-Set Formation,” setting things in motion for the future.
His coaching career began at Washington High School. Shortly afterward, he was chosen as the assistant coach by Marv Levy, the newly hired head coach at the University of California, Berkley. From there, Walsh went to to Stanford and then to pro football in 1966 as assistant coach with the Oakland Raiders under Al Davis. Walsh moved to the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968 as assistant coach for eight seasons under head coach Paul Brown.
Walsh resigned in 1975 after Brown retired. He assumed the assistant coaching duties with the San Diego Chargers in 1976 under Tommy Prothro. Walsh became head coach at Stanford for two seasons,
winning the Sun Bowl in 1977, being chosen Pac-8 Coach of the Year and then he and his team won Bluebonnet Bowl in 1978.
His first year as head coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 1979 was dismal, but that changed with the addition of Joe Montana as quarterback in 1980. The San Francisco 49ers won the Super Bowl in 1981, 1984 and 1988, all thanks to the perfection of Walsh's coaching system. It became known as the West Coast offense. Walsh became a coaching great due to his call playing and design innovations that garnered him the title "The Genius.”
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