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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Tuesday, July 28, 1998 Bill Walsh talks philosophy to kick off THSCA coaching school By MARK BABINECK Associated Press Writer HOUSTON (AP) - Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh didn't bring his vaunted "West Coast offense" to the Gulf Coast on Monday. Instead, he talked philosophy to more than 1,000 note-scribbling Texas high school coaches at their annual convention. Walsh was the kickoff lecturer at the Texas High School Coaches Association's summer coaching school. Rather than dwell on X's and O's, the 66-year-old Walsh shared pearls of wisdom from four decades on the sidelines. Coaches at all levels must work hard to instill a battlefield-like sense of camaraderie among their players for any of the strategy to matter, he said. "Obviously, the life-and-death perils aren't there," Walsh said. "But the bonding, that willingness to sacrifice, is key. It's our job to develop an attitude among them that they bond with each other and sacrifice for each other." Before the season, Walsh said he'd mark his calendar with specific points he wanted to drill into his team each day. Coaches should constantly hammer home their philosophies but vary their delivery to keep players on their toes, he said. "Never, never be predictable. The great coach is a range of emotions," Walsh said, citing Vince Lombardi, Bum Phillips and Chuck Noll as examples. "If you're always a screamer, players will tune you out like someone who lives next to a freeway long enough that they don't even hear it anymore." Walsh, a famed offensive tactician who led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl titles, did not dive into details of his offensive style as some in attendance might have expected. "I think a lot of coaches maybe expected or wished to hear that," said Greg Jacobs, defensive coordinator at powerful Crawford. "I think you can get most of his offensive strategy from his book." Ironically, the only formation the offensive wizard diagrammed on an overhead projector at the Astroarena was a sketch of a properly executed prevent defense. One problem: He only slotted in 10 defensive players and never seemed to catch on, despite some guffaws from the crowd. "Unfortunately, we run that defense sometimes, too," Jacobs joked. The coaches' convention, which features lectures, basketball and football all-star games and more than 1,000 exhibitors, runs through Wednesday. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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