Early Career
Born in Los Angeles, Walsh played running back in the San Francisco Bay Area for Hayward High School in Hayward.
Walsh played quarterback at the College of San Mateo while attending there two years. Both John Madden and Walsh played and coached at the College of San Mateo early in their careers. After playing at the College of San Mateo, Walsh transferred to San José State University, where he played tight end and defensive end. He also participated in intercollegiate boxing. Walsh graduated from San Jose State with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1955. He served under Bob Bronzan as a graduate assistant coach on the Spartans football coaching staff and graduated with a master's degree in physical education from San Jose State in 1959. His master's thesis was entitled Flank Formation Football -- Stress:: Defense. Thesis 796.W228f
Following graduation, Walsh coached at Washington High School in Fremont, leading the football and swim teams.
Walsh was coaching in Fremont when he interviewed for an assistant coaching position with Marv Levy, who had just been hired as the head coach at the University of California, Berkeley.
"I was very impressed, individually, by his knowledge, by his intelligence, by his personality and hired him," Levy said.
After Cal, Walsh did a stint at Stanford as an assistant coach, before beginning his pro coaching career.
Read more about this topic: Bill Walsh (American Football Coach)
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