I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Walsh, the best SF Forty-Niners coach in history who coached them when they were at their best, during his first season as Stanford football coach one morning in September, 1977. We were fellow alumni of San Jose State. I shared this factoid with him at a pre-game, Stanford booster breakfast that day and he replied, in faux embarrassment, "Maybe if we're lucky, no one here will find out!"
If a brand is a promise to deliver an experience, Walsh never disappointed. He had a strong, favorable brand if anybody ever had one. When he prowled the sidelines, in his trademark white sweater and tan slacks, you may not have always been able to count on a win, but you could count on being entertained -- and excited about the next game. Off the field, he was an informative interview, an engaging speaker, and polished conversationalist. He spoke in complete sentences and made compelling, articulate sense in language polished but never high-falutin'.
If Seven-Up was the "un-cola", Walsh was the "un-coach". Ironic because he was the gold-standard of the profession. His reputation preceded him and he delivered on his reputed promise. Every brand should be so reliable. A lot of the football world will, no doubt, be at his memorial service. But an immeasurable part of that world will be missing that day.
The "brands" of Stanford, and the NFL, are all the greater today for his stamp on them. Yes, we had time to prepare, but he will be missed nonetheless.
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