** FILE ** Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, right, stands with former 49ers coach Bill Walsh during a halftime ceremony honoring Young's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in San Francisco in this Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005 file photo. Walsh, the groundbreaking football coach who won three Super Bowls and perfected the ingenious schemes that became known as the West Coast offense during a Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers, died early Monday, July 30, 2007. He was 75. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Bill Walsh, the groundbreaking football coach who won three Super Bowls and perfected the ingenious schemes that became known as the West Coast offense during a Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers, has died. He was 75.
Walsh died at his Woodside home Monday morning following a long battle with leukemia.
"This is just a tremendous loss for all of us, especially to the Bay Area because of what he meant to the 49ers," said Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, the player most closely linked to Walsh's tenure with the team. "For me personally, outside of my dad he was probably the most influential person in my life. I am going to miss him."
Walsh twice served as the 49ers' general manager, and George Seifert led San Francisco to two more Super Bowl titles after Walsh left the sideline. Walsh also coached Stanford during two terms over five seasons.