Friends and well-wishers of Hall of Fame football coach Bill Walsh have reportedly been beating a path to his Woodside home in recent weeks.
Mr. Walsh, 74, revealed publicly on Friday, Nov. 10, that he is battling leukemia.
He called sports writers Ira Miller and Lowell Cohn to quell rumors about his health. Mr. Miller reported that Mr. Walsh has been suffering from leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, for about two years, and that he is “cautiously optimistic” about his prognosis.
The creator of the West Coast Offense, Mr. Walsh led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl victories in the 1980s and has a long association with both the 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal. He stepped down from his post as Stanford’s interim athletic director in July.
Mr. Walsh told Mr. Miller he is planning to attend the 49ers’ retirement ceremony for wide-receiver Jerry Rice, an Atherton resident, at Monster Park on Nov. 19.
