Walsh and Gibbs: From Chargers OCs to the Hall of Fame

Feb 01, 2019 at 09:43 AM

Chris Hayre

TEAM REPORTER

San Diego Chargers running back Rickey Young (34) and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts (14) listens to offensive coordinator Bill Walsh during a training camp practice on August 13, 1976 in San Diego. (Peter Read Miller via AP)

NFL columnist Bob Glauber was a guest on a new episode of Chargers Weekly, the official podcast of the team.

Glauber, who's covered the NFL at Newsday since 1989, is the author of a new book entitled "Guts and Genius: The Story of Three Unlikely Coaches Who Came to Dominate the NFL in the '80s." The book – which is available now – details the Hall of Fame coaching careers of Bill Parcells, Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs, and also includes some unique Chargers ties.

Highlights from the conversation with Glauber (20:35 mark) are below.

On Bill Walsh's lone season as the Chargers' offensive coordinator in 1976:

"Dan Fouts – when we spoke about Bill Walsh, he shook his head as if it was yesterday because he loved having Bill Walsh as his offensive coordinator. (He) absolutely loved him. He says, 'You know, I was in danger of being traded or even released until Walsh came into my life.' And I'm listening to him and I'm like, 'Whoa, I mean, I just don't know this kind of stuff.' And he kind of details what Bill Walsh did for him: worked on his footwork, really took apart the mechanics of his game and put them back together again, and really put Dan Fouts on the trajectory that he became a Hall of Famer on, and I did not know that."

When Fouts got the news Walsh was leaving to become the head coach at Stanford:

"Dan Fouts said, 'I had one of the worst games I ever had against the Raiders to close out that season because I was so upset that I was going to be without Bill Walsh.' It turned out OK because his next offensive coordinator was Joe Gibbs. Could you imagine that? Having two straight offensive coordinators named Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs in your life? And they had a lot to do with Dan Fouts turning his career around and becoming a Hall of Famer."

NFL draft analyst Rob Rang also joined this week's episode for some early draft talk, including Senior Bowl takeaways and potential options for the Chargers at No. 28 overall.

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