"Great coaches are great teachers, people who enjoy teaching. It doesn't matter what level it was on. I don't care if he was teaching high school kids, quarterbacks, three- to five-step drops, college kids, pro kids, he enjoyed it. He was very good at it, very smart. I guess the best way to describe it is he just had passion for everything he did. And that's one of the reasons he was so successful." — Mike Shanahan

"Bill was an innovator, a motivator and ultimately one of the most dynamic coaches in NFL history. From my earliest days of involvement in the NFL, he was a friend who always had time to offer his counsel and advice. His leadership defined the 49ers as the team of the 1980s, and his legacy will be as one of the best we have ever seen." — Jerry Jones

"Everyone who loves football will miss one of the game's great icons. He was an extraordinary mentor to so many coaches who are still in the game today. We all owe him greatly for his kindness and gifts." — Pete Carroll

"He had great vision on what the league was going to become and how to forge opportunities for players. What he did for that organization, the Super Bowls he won, is a testament to what kind of coach he was. But he was also a good man who gave guys an opportunity." — Herm Edwards

"He was a very demanding head coach. His presence put pressure on you. I mean, when he walked out of that locker room, it was all about football, getting your minds right. But that's just the personality he had and the impact he had on a team." — Tom Rathman

"The thing he did, is he really went about putting the game in players' hands, and saying 'you got to make plays. I may throw you a five yard slant, but I expect you to turn it into a 30-40 yard play,' and he knew how to get the ball in his players hands." — Gary Kubiak