The NFL playoffs get underway Saturday, beginning with the wild card round. The first and second seeds in each conference have the weekend off, but we’re still treated to four fun games.
What’s interesting is the legacy with all 12 teams participating. Turns out all the teams in the playoffs are from the Bill Walsh/Bill Parcells coaching trees. Walsh wins with seven teams while Parcells has five. If you want to know how much of a legacy either left, you should look no further than the playoffs. No other coaching trees are represented.
I could go on about Bill Walsh. What he’s left on the league with the west coast offense and game-planning is well known, just go read his book Finding the Winning Edge, if you can find a copy, that is. You’ll see so much from that book reflected in today’s game. Bill Parcells had his influence as well. You see it with the New England Patriots and saw it when Trent Baalke managed the 49ers with hard-hitting run games and strong defenses.
Both coaches were rivals in the purest form in the 80s, having seven games played. Walsh wins the split 4-3 and there were some interesting moments. There’s the game where Walsh allegedly cut the radios/phones to the New York sideline in order to run a set of scripted plays. There’s also the game where Parcells’ Giants beat the 49ers 17-3 (note, both these games may have been the same one based on Parcell’s comments in the video above). This is also the game where the west coast offense was solidified with Parcell’s comment after the game: “How does that west coast offense look now?”
Regardless of the gamesmanship, the Giants were a thorn in the 49ers’, and the dynasty at large, several times when the playoffs arrived.
Walsh and Parcells are both no longer coaching but their legacies live on. The fact that all the coaches in the playoffs are descendents from either coaching tree strengthens the fact that they are two of the greatest coaches of all time.
And since this is a 49ers site, the fact Walsh has more coaches in the playoffs than than Parcells gives him the biased edge.
Here’s the full rundown:
Walsh descendents
Seattle Seahawks:Pete Carroll — George Seifert
Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh—Andy Reid — Mike Holmgren
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay — Mike Shanahan — George Seifert
Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson — Andy Reid — Mike Holmgren
Indianapolis Colts: Frank Reich — Doug Pederson — Andy Reid — Mike Holmgren
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid — Mike Holmgren — Bill Walsh
Chicago Bears: Matt Nagy — Andy Reid — Mike Holmgren
Parcells descendents
New England Patriots: Bill Belichick
Dallas Cowboys: Jason Garrett — Nick Saban — Bill Belichick
Los Angeles Chargers: Anthony Lynn — Bill Parcells
Houston Texans: Bill O’Brien — Bill Parcells
New Orleans Saints: Sean Payton