The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com New Student Edition - 5E CHANGING TIMES This year, the Michigan football program will have a new coach, new quarterback, new running back, new offense, new defense, new stadium, new practice facilities and countless other changes. Exciting? Yes. A recipe for instant success? Not exactly. But with a coach like Rich Rodriguez at the helm, it should only be a matter of time before the Wolverines are national championship contenders again. RODRIGO GAYA/Daily Former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr was carried off the field by the team after his final game at the helm, a 4-35 Capital One Bowl win over Heisman winner Tim Tebow and Florida. Carr announced his retirement after the regular-seasoreloss to rival Ohio State. Beginning to end, Carr a Michigan Man The first question asked to Michigan coach Lloyd Carr after he announced his retirement in a press confer- ence yesterday -j was how he thought the public should judge his time in Ann Arbor. " I didn't tome here to JACK discuss my HERMAN legacy," Carr said. Carr might not want to, but in the coming weeks, countless hours will be spent debating how to eval- uate his 13-year tenure running the Wolverines. Some will talk about how Carr led Michigan to its first National Championship since 1948. Others will focus on his 1-6 record against Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. But Carr's seemingly non- answer answer to the question might be a better indication than anything else of what his legacy will - or at least should - be. It represents how Carr, a boy from a small town in Tennessee who later became an accidental head coach at a school where he once turned down a scholarship, honored his mentor by running one of the sport's best programs the only way it should be: Like a true Michigan Man. "He is Michigan football," defensive coordinator Ron English said. "He embodies this program. I think he's really undervalued." It's been that way since day one. ROUGH START Had Gary Moeller never gotten drunk at a Southfield restaurant in April of 1995, Carr might never have become head coach at Michi-, gan. But when Moeller resigned under pressure from the media and the University, Carr - then the team's defensive coordinator - had a chance to take on many coach's dream job. But only 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 resignation, he declared he would not 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 Director 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 berthe best thing, that's what he should do." Carr's appointment - which came after Perin State coach Joe Paterno pushed Roberson to give Carr the job - bought the athletic director time to make his final coaching decision. But after Michi- gan 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 Westland 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 Illi- nois, on a staff that was fired after the 1979 season. The Carr they knew had been defensive coordi- nator for back-to-back 8-4 teams. They didn't know the Lloyd Carr who, 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 championships 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 deep- er than football, it was about man- hood, guidance 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 Michigan State, he's coached in some unbelievable wins. But no matter what he's done, he's never silenced the critics. Too conservative. Too outdated. And this year, too old. (Maybe, as one newspaper suggested follow- ing 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 message to his granddaughter's classmate, Peter, earlier this year that no loss could get him down was downright surreal. Sure, reporters might have liked more access, more answers and perhaps fewer of those legendary stares (or maybe not), but contrary to popular belief, it seems like the press actually enjoy workingwith Carr. "It is difficult to reconstruct all that has happened in 13 years of covering Michigan football under Carr,".Detroit News writer Angelique S. Chengelis wrote Sun- day. "It has been interesting, to say the least. I can honestly say I have enjoyed the journey and the devel- opment of a respectful relation- ship between coach and reporter." FOLLOWING A LEGEND his reti: ing fory In201 confere was tha "I'lln "I'm no Partc Carr's t failures "Noo pressur puts onl Michiga And 1 a glimp speaks The c singing' tina" to1 practice and sca mask. TI sical mu more th, much m than Lo out, cut, in 1968,; hand sh home). "He h football Carr antagon media c one rem, chastise halftim but mos to see th ing pres He c anyonel but also found. 0 the stor over and by his e over and rement, resignation or fir- Roberson believes Carr is years. unfairly criticized because people :04, he had to call a press tend to measure him compared to nce to announce the news a legend. t there was no news. Even if that's the case, what make this short," Carr said. more could Carr do to honor t sick, and I'm not retiring." Schembechler's name? Outsiders before joining the ON THE OUTSIDE. Michigan coaching staff, both men. have become synonymous with the of the problem may be school. Everyone knows Bo came endency to take blame for from Miami (Ohio). But a number but not praise for success. of people don't know Carr gradu- one who will put more ated from Northern Michigan, not e on Lloyd Carr than he Michigan, in 1968. (Actually, Carr himself," Carr told The turned down a scholarship offer an Daily in 1995. from Michigan to go to Missouri, because of it, we only get before transferring. According to se of the Carr his players the 1997 Detroit Free Press profile, o lovingly about. he headed to Missouri to play foot- oach who will bust out ball and baseball, major in journal- "Don't Cry for Me Argen- ism and be with some friends) lighten up his players in Since joining Michigan 28 years e or sneak up behind them ago; Carr has done nothing but re them while wearing a uphold Bo's values. Scandal has, 'he one who listens to clas- never touched the program, and asic and reads books about Carr has been a model for his play- an just sports. The one ers on and off the field. tore likely to quote Kipling Last year, Carr spoke at Schem- mbardi (who, as it turns bechler's memorial service after Carr from the Packers the legendary coach passed away. sending him off with a He talked about the time Lou ake and some money to get Holtz offered him a job as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator. It has a lot of interest outside looked better and paid better, and ," Laurie said. Carr thought he should take it. can be gruff, but even his Bo's response said it all. aistic relationship with the "No, you're not going to Notre an be exaggerated. Every- Dame," Carr said, quoting Schem- embers the time Carr bechler. "You are Michigan, so ed a sideline reporter at forget that. I don't want to hear & of that Ohio State game, any more about it." t people don't get a chance Carr's critics might wish he he side that comes out dur- skipped town then and there. s conferences. But the rest of us realize Bo's an be testy at times (doesn't foresight was nothing but pro- have any other questions), phetic. funny, charming and pro- . "Nobody," Roberson said, "has One could listen to Carr tell done more for Michigan than y of the Little Brown Jug Lloyd has, in my view." Two weeks in, Rodriguelz feels pressure By SCOTT BELL brightest up-and-coming mminds DailySports Editor to join him. "Obviously, I'm very loyal Jan. 3, 2008 - ORLANDO, Fla. - to the staff I had at West Vir- When Rich Rodriguez got a chance ginia," Rodriguez said. "There'll to sit down and watch a little foot- be several of them coming with ball after a whirlwind couple of me. Several others possibly from weeks, the newly hired Michigan other schools." 'football coach thought he'd finally After interviewing all of Mich- get a chance to relax. igan's assistant coaches two days But Rodriguez's moment of rest after his hiring, Rodriguez fired was short-lived. all nine of them, allowing them Less than two weeks after being to pursue other jobs. He then re- introduced as Michigan's fourth hired running backs coach and head coach in 40 years on Dec. 17, noted recruiter Fred Jackson and Rodriguez found out he was being said that one or two more former sued by the university he had just Michigan assistants might get left when he saw the news scroll their jobs back. across the bottom of ESPN during But for the majority of assis- a bowl game. tants who worked under retiring "I don't think that's normal, coach Lloyd Carr, Tuesday's bowl that's not normal protocol, I didn't win against'Florida was their last think," Rodriguez told reporters time on the Wolverine sideline. in the press box before Michigan's "I'm blessed to have been Capital One Bowl around . here," appearance Tues- outgoing quar- day. "Imagine terbacks coach my shock watch- Sgettings e cot Loefier said. ing the game at sued I am the lucki- the hotel with for $4 million est guy to have my family, and it " . worked for coach comes across that That wasn't a Carr and to coach ticker, getting at Michigan." sued for $4 mil- goo Rodriguez has lion. That wasn't a fOd night. laid low since good night." being hired in Rodriguez order to keep didn't talk about himself from the specific details of the situa- a situation that would. have tion, and his agent Mike Brown deflected attention from Carr. declined comment after the law- The former West Virginia coach, suit was initially filed on Dec. 27. who watched Tuesday's first half West Virginia officials are suing from the Michigan sideline and their former coach to collect a $4 the remainder of the game from million buyout of his contract. a luxury box, is anxious to get to "It's been difficult and it's been work. a little disappointing, to be honest He's been handcuffed when it with you," Rodriguez said. "A lot of comes to looking for new 'play- folks have been terrific. The play- ers. since programs can only ers have been terrific. A lot of the recruit on a limited basis for the big boosters and supporters have next month. With approximately been terrific. But it's been a little 10 open scholarships left in the disappointing with some of the class, Rodriguez will have to hit things with the administration the recruiting trails hard once and some of the fans." NCAA rules allow him. Rodriguez hasn't had too many Rodriguez might also have to "good nights" since becoming retrace some of Carr's steps to Michigan's head coach. make sure he doesn't lose any of Faced with the task of putting the recruits who committed to together a coaching staff for next Michigan before his hiring. season, Rodriguez has to decide if "Obviously, there is some anxi- he should remain loyal to his for- ety from the recruits who have mer assistants at West Virginia, committed," Rodriguez said. keep enough Michigan assistants " 'Do you know us? Do you to make the transition easier or know how we fit?' We've talked look nationally for some of the to all of them several times." d over again, and, judging nthusiasm, he could tell it d over again, too. And his This column originally ran on Nov. 20, 2007. A.