The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 -- 9
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, November 20,2007-9
Defensive coordinator Ron English was just one of the many assistant coaches and friends of Michigan coach Lloyd Carr who came to yesterday's press conference.
Colleagues reflect on Carr
By KEVIN WRIGHT "Some
Daily Sports Editor are mo
than X
Former Athletic Director Joe that."
Roberson remembers a distinct Simi
sound coming from Lloyd Carr's around
office in Schembechler Hall. ter ye
Somethingthat didn't seem to friends
belong in a football building. es and
Classical music greeted Rob- departn
erson when he poked his head announ
into the then-defensive coordi- those c
nator Carr's office. for the
And that was part of what sold "I'm
Roberson on Carr when Rober- Jim Br
son appointed him as the Wol- the las
verines' interim head coach in Carr o
1995. talk sh
"Isaid to myself,'I really want es. "I'r
a coach who can be a role model a great
to these young men in the edu- he now
cational sense,' " Roberson said. get out
LEGACY
From page 1
I think he's really undervalued."
And it's been that way since day one.
Rough Start
Had Gary Moeller never gotten drunk
at a Southfield restaurant April of 1995,
Carr might never have become head coach
at Michigan. But when Moeller resigned
under pressure from the media and the
University, Carr - then the team's defen-
sive coordinator - had a chance to take on
many coach's dream job.
That was, of course, if he wanted it.
Good friends with Moeller, Carr had
some doubts about taking over - even on
an interim basis - for the man who had
been anointed Michigan's next head coach
by Bo Schembechler. In fact, caught up in
his emotions the day of Moeller's resigna-
tion, he declared he would accept the top
job.
"He was not sure if it was the right
thing for him to do at the time," said
Joe Roberson, who as Athletic Direc-
tor appointed Carr interim head coach
on May 13 of that year. "But Lloyd was a
good Michigan Man. If that was what we
thought would be the best thing, that's
what he should do."
Carr's appointment - which came after
Penn State coach Joe Paterno pushed
Roberson to give Carr the job - bought
the athletic director time to make his final
coaching decision. But after Michigan lost
games to Northwestern and Michigan
State that season, some critics hoped that
decision wouldn't involve Carr.
The Carr they knew had not served as
a head coach since 1975, when he left his
job at John Glenn High School in West-
land to become a defensive backs coach at
Eastern Michigan, taking a paycut - with
three kids - from $20,000 to $10,000 a
year. The Carr they knew worked under
Moeller at Illinois, on a staff fired after the
1979 season. The Carr they knew had been
defensive coordinator for teams that had
gone 8-4 the past two years.
They didn't know the Lloyd Carr who,
profiled in a 1998 Detroit Free Press story,
talked about learning tolerance from his
father, Lloyd Sr., while growing up in a
segregated Tennessee town. The Carr
who moved to Michigan at 10 and went on
to lead his high school football, basketball
and baseball teams to state champion-
ships his senior year of high school, giving
pep talks so good he was nicknamed The
Reverend. The Carr who got to know his
players better than perhaps any coach in
the country and changed more than one
life with those one-on-one meetings he
would hold when he believed a player was
at a crossroads.
"He saved my life," said Marcus Ray,
who played for Carr from 1994 to 1998.
"I was a young kid that needed some
guidance, some tough love. I never had a
father figure, and he delivered. To me, my
relationship with Lloyd was deeper than
football, it was about manhood, guidance
body who knows there
re letters in the alphabet
and O. I felt Lloyd was
lar sentiments floated
Junge Champion Cen-
sterday morning when
, media, assistant coach-
members of the athletic
ment gathered as Carr
tced his retirement, and
lose to Carr shared praise
13-year coach.
a little bittersweet," said
andstatter, who has spent
t 13 years working with
n "Michigan Replay," a
ow with Michigan coach-
m happy for Lloyd. He's
guy. He's a friend, and
has the opportunity to
from under the micro-
scope."
While working with Carr,
Brandstatter recounted the late
nights after games in which the
two would banter - in good fun
- before the camera started
rolling, sometimes as late as 4
a.m. ,
Brandstatter added he'd have
a chance to talk to Carr a little
more about the decision when he
filmed "Michigan Replay" with
the newly retired coach laterthat
night.
Wide receivers coach Erik
Campbell, who joined the staff
when Carr took the reigns as
head coach, loved every moment
working under Carr.
"He's one of those guys who
stood up for what the Univer-
sity of Michigan is all about,"
Campbell said. "I had the great
privilege to play for him and then
come back and work for him."
Campbell, who first got to
know Carr when he played at
Michigan as an 18-year-old, said
the team meeting on Sunday was
one of the more moving atmo-
spheres he's ever experienced.
The coaches retold stories,
and Campbell said both tears
and laughs flowed freely.
Yesterday at the press confer-
ence, Carr captivated the room
with his remarks concerning the
situation around his retirement.
TV screens along the wall dis-
played Carr's different faces over
his years roaming the Michigan
Stadium sidelines, and those in
the audience told of similar tran-
sitions.
Michigan hockey coach Red
Berenson recalled Carr open-
ing his door whenever his col-
league from the rink stopped by
the football office. He said Carr
would always make time to talk
to a hockey recruit or discuss
whatever Berenson wanted.
Berenson, who has guided the
hockey team for 24 seasons, even
jokingly suggested how Carr
knew it was time to walk away.
"I suppose if you start for-
getting your players' names,"
Berenson said. "We only have 26
players, and I haven't got to that
point. He has 100 and some play-
ers."
Carr may be walking away
from the game, but he'll have
classical music to serenade him
on his trip home.
and leadership."
Carr wasn't named permanent head
coach until a 5-0 win over Purdue pushed
the team to 8-2 in 1995. The Wolverines
lost to Penn State the following week,
but ended the regular season with a 31-23
upset of an undefeated Ohio State.
After the game, Laurie Carr - Lloyd's
second wife - told the Flint Journal it was
the second happiest day of her life.
No. 1?
She had married Lloyd exactly one year
earlier.
Continuing concerns
In his 13 years as head coach, Carr has
done just about all anyone could ask for.
Michigan has won 121 games, five Big
Ten titles and, of course, that National
Championship.
His players won 73 all-Big Ten awards,
23 All-America honors and a Heisman
Trophy.
And from his first game as head coach
- when Michigan came back from a 17-
point deficit to beat Virginia - to this year
- like the comeback against Michgian
State - he's coached in some unbelievable
victories.
But no matter what he's done, he's never
sileAced the critics.
Too conservative. Too outdated. And
this year, too old. (Maybe, as one news-
paper suggested following the team's loss
to Appalachian State, the game has just
passed Lloyd by.)
Even when Carr did good things,
people viewed it as bad. Carr's dedication
to his assistants - for instance, he got
them all two-year deals heading into this
year, unprecedented at Michigan - has
earned him the distinction of being loyal
to a fault.
He has dealt with rumors about his
retirement, resignation or firing for years.
In 2004, things got so bad, he had to
call a press conference to announce the
news was that there was no news.
"I'll make this short," Carr said. "I'm.
not sick, and I'm not retiring."
On the outside
Part of the problem may be Carr's ten-
dency to takeblame for failures, but not
praise for any of his team's success.
"No one who will put more pressure on
Lloyd Carr than he puts on himself," Carr
told The Michigan Daily in 1995.
And because of it, we only get a glimpse
of the Carr his players speak so lovingly
about.
The coach who will bust out singing
"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" to lighten
up his players in practice or sneak up
behind them and scare them while wear-
ing a mask. The one who listens to clas-
sical music and reads books about more
than just sports. The one much more likely
to quote Kipling than Lombardi (who, as
it turns out, cut Carr from the Packers in
1968, sending him off with a hand shake
and some money to get home).
"He has a lot of interest outside foot-
ball," Laurie said.
Carr can be gruff, but even his antago-
LLOYD CARR
TIMELINE
Carr's coaching at the high school level
- 1970-3: Carr was the assistant coach
at Belleville High School in Belleville, Mich.
- 1973-6: He was the head coach at John
Glenn High school in Westland, Mich.
Carr's collegiate coaching career,
starting as a defensive backs coach
- 1976-77: He coached at
Eastern Michigan.
- 1977-78: Carr followed by two
seasons at Illinois (1978-79)
before arriving at Michigan.
Carr's start at Michigan, serving 15
years under Bo Schembechler (1980-
89) and Gary Moeller (1990-94)
- 1980: Carr joined the Michigan staff
as the defensive secondary coach.
- 1987: Carr became
defensive coordinator.
- 1990: Carr moved into the
position of assistant head
coach/defensive coordinator.
Carr's leadership at Michigan
- May 16, 1995: Officially named
17th head coach at Michigan by
Athletic Director Joe Roberson.
- 1997: Carr's Wolverines win the
National Championship in a 21-16 Rose
Bowl victory over Washington State.
- Michigan won five Big Ten titles
under Carr: 1997, 1998 (T-first),
2000 (T-first), 2003, 2004.
- Under Carr's leadership, Michigan always
mon at least seven games a season and
always made a bostlt game appearance.
" Carr owns the second-best winning
percentage of all Michigan coaches
in Michigan Stadium at 74-12 (.860).
- Charles Woodson (CB/WR)
won the Heisman Trophy in
1997 while playing for Carr.
Carr 's coaching honors
" 1997: American Football Coaches
Association (AFCA) Coach of the Year
" 1997: Football News Coach of the Year
" 1997: Paul "Bear" Bryant
Coach of the Year
" 1997: Walter Camp Coach of the Year
- 1997: AFQ/Schutt Coach of the Year
" 1997: Woody Hayes College
Football Coach of the Year
- 2006: AFCA Regional Coach of the Year
- NicoCLE AUERBAcH
ALL-CARR TEAM
QB- Chad Henne - Although Henne hasn't
won many big games, he leads Michigan
in nearly all statistical passing categories.
RB- Mike Hart - Hart has been
the heart of the Michigan football
team this year and leaves Michigan
as its all-time leading rusher.
FB- BJ Askew - Askew was a large
factor in Michigan's rushing attack
during the 2001rand 2002 seasons
WR- Braylon Edwards - The Biletnikoff
Award winner was the nation's
top wide receiver in 2004. He
leads Michigan in most statistical
receiving categories including TDs,
receiving yards and receptions.
WR- David Terrell - Terrell was tirst
player donning the Maize and Blue to have
multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
TE- Jerame Tuman - Was a large factor
in the passing game during the 1997
National Championship season.
T- Jon Runyan - An All-American
offensive tackle during the 1995 season.
G- Steve Hutchinson - Four-time Big Ten
first-team selection, the fourth player in
team history to accomplish this feat.
C- David Baas - Co-winner of the
Rimington Trophy in 2004, given
to the nation's top center.
G- Matt Lentz - Two-time Big Ten
first-team selection and three-
year starter from 2002-2005.
T- Jake Long - Leader of the offensive
line over the past two seasons and an
All-American during the 2006 season.
DE- LaMarr Woodley - Won the Lombardi
Award as the nation's top lineman and
was a leader of the 2006 defense.
DT- Gabe Watson - 92 career tackles
and two-time first-team Big Ten player.
DT- Alan Branch - 2006 All-American had
nine sacks and 61 tackles during his career.
DE- Glen Steele - Was named an
All- American during Michigan's
National Championship season.
ILB- Larry Foote - Foote amassed
145 career tackles and 11 sacks and
was named a 2001 All-American.
MLB- Jarrett Irons - Irons led Michigan
with 296 career tackles from 1993 to 1996.
OLB- Sam Sword - Sword is third all
time with 265 tackles for Michigan.
Also won a National Championship.
CB- Charles Woodson - Woodson won
the Heisman trophy in 1997. Enough said.
CB- Marlin Jackson - Two-time first-
team All-American in 2002 and 2004.
FS- Cato June - Had 102 career tackles
and three interceptions playing free safety.
SS- Ernest Shazor - 2004 All-American,
a two-year starter in 2003 and 2004.
K- Garret Rivas - Although inconsistent,
Rivas leads Michigan in all-time field goals.
P- Adam Finley - A four-year
starter who leads Michigan in
number of punts attempted.
CHRIS MESZAROS
PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Dail
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr may not have wanted thenjob initially, but he shined as Michigan's head
coach since taking over in 1995.
nistic relationship with the media can be synonymous with the school. Everyone
exaggerated. Everyone remembers the time knows Bo came from Miami (Ohio). But a
Carr chastised a sideline reporter during number of people don't know Carr gradu-
halftime of that Ohio State game, but most ated from Northern Michigan, not Michi-
people don't get a chance to see the side gan, in 1968. (Actually, Carr turned down
that comes out during press conferences. a scholarship offer from Michigan to go to
He can be testy at times (doesn't anyone Missouri, before transferring. According
have any other questions), but also funny, to the 1997 Detroit Free Press profile, he
charming and profound. One could listen headed to Missouri to play football and
to Carr tell the story of the Little Brown baseball, major in journalism and be with
Jug over and over again, and, judging by some friends.)
his enthusiasm, he could tell it over and Since joining Michigan 28 years ago,
over again, too. And his message to his Carr has done nothing butuphold Bo's
granddaughter's classmate, Peter, earlier values. Scandal has never touched the
this yearthat no loss could get him down program, and Carr has been a model for
was downright surreal. his players on and, most important, off the
Sure, reporters might have liked more field.
access, more answers and perhaps fewer Last year, Carr spoke at Schembechler'
of those legendary stares (or maybe not), memorial service a few days after the
but contrary to popular belief, it seems legendary coach passed away. He talked
like the press actually enjoy working with about the time Lou Holtz offered him as a
the coach. job as Notre Dame's defensive coordinato:
"It is difficult to reconstruct all that has It lookedbetter and paid better, and Carr
happened in 13 years of covering Michigan thought he should take it.
football under Carr," Detroit News writer Bo's response said it all.
Angelique S. Chengelis wrote Sunday. "It "No, you're not going to Notre Dame,"
has been interesting, to say the least. I can Carr said, quoting Schembechler. "You ar
honestly say I have enjoyed the journey Michigan, so forgetthat. I don't want to
and the development of a respectful rela- hear any more about it."
tionship between coach and reporter." Carr's critics mightwish he skipped
t
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's
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Following a legend
Roberson believes Carr is unfairly criti-
cized because people tend to measure him
compared to a legend.
Even if that's the case, what more could
Carr do to honor Schembechler's name?
Outsiders before joining the Michigan
coaching staff, both men have become
town then and there.
Butthe rest of us realize Bo's foresight
was more than a little prophetic.
"Nobody," Roberson said, "has done
more for Michigan than Lloyd has, in my
view."
- Herman can be reached
at jaherman@umich.edu.
s