07/31 — The Jets today remembered Bill Walsh, the legendary head coach of the dominant San Francisco 49ers teams of the 1980s who died of leukemia Monday.

"I would like to take a second to send out my condolences and the organization's condolences to Bill Walsh’s family," said Jets head coach Eric Mangini. "He was an amazing coach and an amazing person who really changed the game. His innovations, his coaching tree, all of the things that he has added will be missed both personally and professionally."

From 2001-04, the Jets offense had a direct connection to Walsh, as former offensive coordinator Paul Hackett was among the first generation of coaches under Walsh’s extensive tree.

Quarterback Chad Pennington remembered Walsh in this light, having learned the West Coast system that Walsh patented as a dominant offense in the NFL.

“I know he had been battling some things, but a name like Bill Walsh, a guy like Bill Walsh, you think a guy like that is going to live forever, just because of his legacy and what he’s done,” said Pennington.

“I know growing up in the West Coast system my first few years in the league, I heard a lot of Bill Walsh stories, learned that system relatively well and got to know all the great old-time stories through Paul Hackett and those guys who coached under Bill. It’s amazing the type of influence that he’s had on not only coaches but on this league and how people attack offensively and call plays."

Walsh coached the 49ers from 1979-88. His 92-59-1 regular-season record included a 2-1 record against the Jets: