Editing Bill Walsh (section)

===Later years===
After leaving the coaching ranks immediately following his team's victory in [[Super Bowl XXIII]], Walsh went to work as a broadcaster for [[NFL on NBC|NBC]], teaming with [[Dick Enberg]] to form the lead broadcasting team, replacing [[Merlin Olsen]].

During his time with NBC, rumors began to surface that Walsh would coach again in the NFL.  There were at least two known instances.

First, according to a February 2015 article by [[Mike Florio]] of NBC Sports, [[1989 New England Patriots season|after a 5–11 season in 1989, the Patriots]] fired [[Raymond Berry]] and unsuccessfully attempted to lure Walsh to Foxborough to become head coach and general manager.  When that failed, New England promoted defensive coordinator [[Rod Rust]]; the team [[1990 New England Patriots season|split its first two games and then lost 14 straight in 1990]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/26/recalling-the-raymond-berry-era-and-new-englands-failed-run-at-bill-walsh/ | title=Recalling the Raymond Berry era and New England's failed run at Bill Walsh | date=February 26, 2015 | website=[[Profootballtalk.com|ProFootballTalk.com]] | access-date=August 8, 2020}}</ref>

Second, late in the 1990 season, Walsh was rumored to become [[1990 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay's]] next head coach and general manager after the team fired [[Ray Perkins]] and promoted [[Richard Williamson (American football)|Richard Williamson]] on an interim basis.  Part of the speculation was fueled by the fact that Walsh's contract with NBC, which ran for 1989 and 1990, would soon be up for renewal, to say nothing of the pressure [[Hugh Culverhouse]] faced to increase fan support and to fill the seats at [[Tampa Stadium]].  However, less than a week after [[Super Bowl XXV]], Walsh not only declined Tampa Bay's offer, but he and NBC agreed on a contract extension.  Walsh would continue in his role with NBC for 1991.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-01-31-9101090974-story.html | title=Walsh Won't Leave TV for Bucs | date=January 31, 1991 | newspaper=Chicago Tribune | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115030859/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-01-31-9101090974-story.html | archive-date=November 15, 2018 | access-date=August 8, 2020}}</ref>  Meanwhile, after unsuccessfully courting then-recently fired Eagles coach [[Buddy Ryan]] or Giants then-defensive coordinator [[Bill Belichick]] to man the sidelines for Tampa Bay in 1991, the Bucs stuck with Williamson.  Under Williamson's leadership, [[1991 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay won only three games in 1991]].

On January 15, 1992, Walsh agreed to return to Stanford to serve as their head coach with a five-year contract with an annual salary of $350,000 to replace [[Dennis Green]]; he immediately named [[Terry Shea]] as offensive coordinator.<ref>{{cite web | last=Maske | first=Mark | title=IT'S OFFICIAL: WALSH TO STANFORD | website=The Washington Post | date=1992-01-17 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1992/01/17/its-official-walsh-to-stanford/d1710323-416d-401c-9b9c-9020e9964c20/ }}</ref> That year, he led the Cardinal to a 10–3 record and a [[Pacific-10 Conference]] co-championship; it was the first conference championship for the program since 1971. Stanford finished the season with a victory over [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]] in the [[1993 Blockbuster Bowl|Blockbuster Bowl]] on January 1, 1993, and a #9 ranking in the final [[AP Poll]]. In November 1994, after consecutive losing seasons, Walsh left Stanford and retired from coaching.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/29/sports/college-football-walsh-leaves-stanford-after-2-losing-seasons.html | title=COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Walsh Leaves Stanford After 2 Losing Seasons | work=The New York Times | date=November 29, 1994 | last1=Weiner | first1=Richard }}</ref>

In 1996, Walsh returned to the 49ers as an administrative aide.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Plaschke |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Plaschke |date=January 24, 1996 |title=Adding Walsh to the 49ers Could Stir up Trouble |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-24-sp-28018-story.html |access-date=August 8, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Walsh was the vice president and general manager for the 49ers from [[1999 San Francisco 49ers season|1999]] to [[2001 San Francisco 49ers season|2001]] and was a special consultant to the team for three years afterwards.

In 2004, Walsh was appointed as special assistant to the athletic director at Stanford. In 2005, after then-athletic director Ted Leland stepped down, Walsh was named interim athletic director. He also acted as a consultant for his alma mater [[San Jose State University]] in their search for an athletic director and Head Football Coach in 2005.

Walsh was also the author of three books, a motivational speaker, and taught classes at the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]].

Walsh was a board member for the [[Lott Trophy|Lott IMPACT Trophy]], which is named after [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] defensive back [[Ronnie Lott]], and is awarded annually to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Walsh served as a keynote speaker at the award's banquet.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lottimpacttrophy.com/news/article/-you-are-looking-live-at- | title='You are looking live at...': Brent Musburger to Speak at Newport Beach Event | first=Pete | last=Donovan | date=August 15, 2011 | website=Lott IMPACT Trophy | access-date=August 8, 2020 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527051520/http://www.lottimpacttrophy.com/news/article/-you-are-looking-live-at- | archive-date=May 27, 2012}}</ref>