Bill Walsh, the brilliant coach who launched the 49ers dynasty and forever transformed the football landscape, died at his Woodside home Monday morning after a battle with leukemia, Stanford University announced. He was 75.

Walsh, perhaps the most influential strategist in NFL history, popularized and perfected the “West Coast offense” that paved the way for five 49ers Super Bowl victories. His innovations also propelled players such as Joe Montana toward the Hall of Fame and provided an oft-copied blueprint for coaches at every level.

“The secret was not only the fact that the team was victorious, but also the way it went about winning and handling the wins,” Carmen Policy, the 49ers president during Walsh’s glory years, said recently. “The team became a virtual bridge that linked the entire Bay Area into one community and all of the components of that community into one citizenry.”

Walsh went 102-63-1 in 10 seasons with the 49ers and led the team to Super Bowl victories in the 1981, 1984 and 1988 seasons. He also left behind the framework for the ’89 and ’94 title teams.

Along the way, Walsh mentored dozens of men who went on to be NFL coaches, and he later served as a major force in shaping the athletic departments of San Jose State and Stanford.

“Bill could have run Google or Microsoft,” said Brent Jones, a 49ers tight end in 1987-97. “He was not happy with good, or very good, it had to be excellent at all times. Continue Reading