Longtime coach Bill Walsh dies at 75

SAN FRANCISCO, July 30 (UPI) -- Hall of Fame football coach Bill Walsh, whose innovative offenses made the San Francisco 49ers three-time Super Bowl winners, has died at the age of 75.

Walsh died Monday at his California home of leukemia, which in November 2006 he announced he had.

Walsh developed the West Coast offense that a turned a passing attack into a ball-control offense and powered the 49ers to Super Bowl wins in 1982, 1985 and 1989. He had a pro regular-season coaching record of 92-52-1 and was 10-4 in playoff games over 10 seasons.

Walsh coached at Stanford University, leading the Cardinal to a pair of bowl game victories.

He was also credited with developing a series of coaches who also became head coaches in the NFL, including Mike Holmgren, Ray Rhodes and George Seifert.

Among the players to flourish under the Walsh system was quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice.

Walsh was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. He was the UPI NFL Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1984.