Learning from a legend

Adam Zundell
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Great coaches transcend their sport. They are great not only because of their intricate knowledge of X's and O's, but more so because of their ability to manage and communicate with a variety of people. They know when to push or pull and when to rip a player or give him encouragement. Saint Louis assistant coach Matt Tutton is young and is still learning all of these qualities, but he's got a pedigree not many can match: his uncle was the late Bill Walsh, an NFL legend. Walsh, known as the creator of the West Coast offense and winner of three Super Bowls, didn't have any insight on a 4-4-2, but he still had a major influence on Tutton and his coaching philosophy. Tutton was born a few years before Walsh took over in San Francisco in 1979, and he got a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a championship dynasty. As he grew up he became more aware of his uncle's status and accomplishments, and he was drawn to coaching, too. "I made the decision to do it [coach] for a couple of reasons, and he reinforced my desire to coach," Tutton says. "I got to see the reward and achievement, not only Super Bowls, but just the joy of winning. "It [coaching] was just so visible for me," he continues. "A lot of times you don't have a role model and you can't see what it takes to be successful first-hand, but I got to witness it over and over. I always had a constant reminder." Tutton witnessed several qualities of Walsh that he felt made him such a great coach, and, as stated previously, transcended any sport: 1. A cool, calm demeanor. "You always saw him with a good demeanor. He was always composed in how he went about coaching games, and I think that's a big reason why they won a lot of close games at the end. He had a machine-like ability to make decisions, and was not strayed by emotions." 2. Seeing the big picture. "He was great at identifying what was most needed for the team or organization at any given moment. Whether that was picking a player, devising an offense, releasing a player, hiring an employee -- he was always able to make the right decision. He understood as many things as possible, and was always able to see what was needed for the big picture to make those tough decisions." 3. High character. "I got to meet a few of the [49er] players after he got out of the game, and most of the stories were about the quality of people that were on those teams, and then you got to understand about why they were so successful. Because of their personalities, obviously they were gifted athletes, but people with great character were the kinds of people he picked to be on his team." 4. Preparedness. "He wanted be prepared for everything to eliminate luck or chance in a game situation. I think that's what I look for, too. How many things can you accomplish before a game? How many scenarios can you have dealt with prior to a game so that when it happens it comes to you automatically, as opposed to something that you have to figure out on the run?" Now, of course, he could probably make a list of 400 things, and some of these seem like no-brainers for all of us outside the lines. But, Tutton got to see these things happen. Many coaches would say they wouldn't recruit a top player who has character issues, but when push comes to shove, would they do it? Perhaps, if their role model was someone who made that kind of decision and was still successful and could recount that story. Tutton came to Saint Louis after spending time in the junior college ranks while concurrently coaching the Pateadores Soccer Club. While he is making the adjustment to Division I soccer, it is all a welcome change. "It's a chance for me to spend more time and commit myself to soccer 100 percent of the time," he says. "The competition level is higher, the players are better and there's more asked of you, but those are the things I was looking for." It was coming up through the ranks that Tutton got much of his advice from his uncle. He would lean on him for advice about dealing with players or general situations -- translating the similarities of benching a goalie to benching a quarterback. But through those talks, what came through was the willingness to take risks. "He had such high expectations for himself and his team, but he made mistakes along the way," Tutton says. "Most people think, 'Did he ever do anything wrong?' And the answer is yes, he did. He would talk about things he tried coming up that didn't work, but it was his willingness to do some of those things that made him different too. You're going to have to take risks and you're going to have some speed bumps, but all of that is necessary to be an innovator." Tutton has delicately balanced the connection to his famous uncle in his coaching career, simultaneously absorbing everything he could but still knowing that he would still have to do things his own way. "At some point you have to be yourself," he says. "I knew that I could be a lot like him, but still trust in my own abilities, and I think I can have both. I think you can have admiration and understanding for major people in your life, but you have to value yourself and do your own thing." That's exactly what Matt Tutton is doing, and it's certain that Bill Walsh wouldn't have it any other way. Adam Zundell is a contributor to ESPN.com. His 2005 story on Jason Garey, "The Kid Can Play," won first place in the College Division in the NSCAA's annual writing contest. He can be reached at azundell@yahoo.com.