"At Manhattan High School there was a football coach named Ed Walsh, and I will tell you about him because he was my idea of a saint," wrote the NFL's greatest running back, Jimmy Brown, in his book Off my Chest. "He was a slender, soft-spoken man but one whose actions made you realize that real strength was not physical strength but strength of character. I am convinced that Ed Walsh had not one iota of bigotry in him. Moreover, of all the football coaches I've played for, Ed, a mere high school coach, was the finest - the most expert. Even today, when I find it necessary to refresh my knowledge of fundamentals, I say to myself, 'Let's see, how did Ed Walsh teach that move?' In the four years I played for him, his teams only lost two games - one by a touchdown and the other by a single point. More than a great teacher of football technique, Ed Walsh was a builder of character. He cared about kids and would reach into his own pocket to buy a needy student clothing."
A native of Mohawk, N.Y., Walsh came to Cortland in 1937 and displayed a varied range of interests. The Student Council president as a senior, Walsh held offices in the College's American Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation organization, the Beta Phi Epsilon fraternity, and was sophomore class president, yearbook art editor, and a member of the Youth Movement and the Alpha Beta honor society. In athletics, Walsh competed in soccer for a year and, after being injured in football, helped coach the varsity backfield. But he excelled in basketball, where he played four years, was team captain and Most Valuable Player. He earned his bachelor's degree from Cortland in 1942, and later a master's degree and doctorate from Columbia Teacher's College.
From 1942 to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1948, Walsh taught physical education and coached football and basketball at LeRoy (N.Y.) High School. In the years between, Walsh enlisted in the U.S. Navy and worked his way to a Lt. Junior Grade. Walsh began teaching physical education and coaching football at Manhasset High in 1948. Eight years later, he became district director of health, physical education and recreation at Manhasset while continuing to coach football until 1978. He spent the next two years on the Brown University football staff.
A pioneer in the area of drug education and rehabilitation, Walsh developed a combination drug and academic program. Twice voted Long Island Football Coach of the Year, Walsh, who chaired the North Shore Athletic Association for eight years, received a Meritorious Service Award and a Special Honor Award from the New York State Coaches Association.
UPDATE: Walsh passed away in 2009 at age 96.
