Carr Retires Again

Thank you, again, Coach.  I wish you all the Best.

Best of luck to you, Coach, in all your future endeavors.

Even tho I wanted nothing to do with you after The Horror...you were truly a class act and a pure leader of many great Michigan teams and will be missed!  A true Michigan icon.

Love you Lloyd

Hope you find both the happiness you seek and the respect that you deserve in your retirement.

Funnyman.

Say hello to Russell Crowe for me.

You taught all these young men so much, but the more time passes, the more I look up to you as the way a man should carry himself as he grows older.

Your integrity and pride and passion for this game on that field will always be an example of how one can succeed and still do the right thing.

Thank you for making it all so special.  Go Blue, Lloyd Carr.

Interesting timing so soon after Coach Carr apparently undermined Coach Rodriguez a couple of months ago when Carr left Morgan Trent with the impression (intentionally or unintentionally) that Coach Carr was critical of Coach Rodriguez.  

That speech/eulogy remains one of my absolute favorites (in any context) I watched live.  In person or on TV.

Thanks Coach.

There won't be many Lloyd Carrs to come along. 

He is not a true Michigan Man. A true Michigan Fan does not talk crap about our current coach, and sit and collect hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to make a couple appearances a month. When you retire from the head coaching position, you don't have a say of what goes on in the future. He is not Bo.

All of you are too ignorant to see it. Idiots.

Given the recent news about the passing of George Steinbrenner I began thinking about what I consider a truly great man (in the world of sports or elsewhere). I think David Brandon's quote about Lloyd summarizes my beliefs pretty well  "Coach Carr is a man of integrity. I admire and appreciate his love for all of our student-athletes and his many contributions to not only our university, but his work on behalf of numerous charitable causes throughout the state of Michigan." He brought Michigan a National Championship and positively impacted the lives of those around him. Sounds like a great man to me. I sincerely hope that Lloyd's values will be carried on by all of our future coaches.

The MGoShirt says it all.

I always loved Lloyd and I always will. What a great Michigan Man.....

Love ya Lloyd! Hope you didn't leave the cupboard as bare this time:)

Look,

I loved you when you were here (until the end). I was very angry at you for the last couple years. I just recently watched the 1998 Rose Bowl and fell in love with you all over again. Thanks for everything Lloyd.

-Me.

To me, Lloyd was one of the great Michigan Men of our generation.  He was not a flashy coach, nor was he particilarly "media-friendly" but his accomplishments, both as a coach and as an individual, cannot be questioned. 

I know that among some off the younger, fans, Lloyd is not as popular.  I can understand why that is, as beating OSU is something that caps off any good season, and having lost the last few years, frustration is natural. That said, as a long time Michigan fan (and alum), there are many things that we should all appreciate.

Lloyd,

Thanks for bringing us our first National Championship in decades.

Thanks for the consistent seasons, where every season brought realistic hopes for a Big Ten championship.

Thanks for always taking us to a bowl (not a pot shot against RR at all).

Thanks for always fielding a team that could be described as classy.

Thanks for continuing Michigan's tradition of excellence on and off the field.

Thanks for allowing Charles Woodson to play offense, defense, special teams and any other role that he could think of.

Thanks for the years of dedication to Motts and other charitable causese - something that  I have always been very proud of.

Thanks for that amazing speech at Bo's memorial - that was the first time I ever teared up over something sports related.  The second time was watching Lloyd get carried off the field after kicking Florida's teeth in during his last game.

All the best Lloyd.  In an age of self promotion, You spoke of players whenever a reporter asked you about yourself, gave back to the hospital without asking for credit and honored the dignity of your position.

Personally I will always remember your talk at Michigania, when you cleared chairs, lined up your audience in formations, and gave a group of old alumni the night of their lives.

Great Day/Greatest Day?
Y/Y!?!
Amirite?!?!?!

But he was classy, loyal, kind, trustworthy, a visionary, clean, decent, hard-working, generous, a teacher, a disciplinarian, a student of the game, proud, a National Champion, charitable, giving and a defender of his teams.  Lloyd you exemplify being "the Leader and Best".

Thank you for all that you have done and given us.  You did it your way and made us proud to be associated with you and the University of Michigan.  Good luck in all your future endeavors.

Go Blue.

I just finished reading the outstanding book, "April 1865 - The Month That Saved America", by Jay Winik. Winik devotes many pages to the study of the men, North and South, who saw through years of bloodshed to the "other side", and made the crucial choices to end the Civil War. Had they chosen differently, the war would have been far longer, bloodier, and ultimately, more tragic.

What is undeniable is that great leaders are often self-contradictory. They are human beings, after all, and subject to the frailties that all humans endure. Lloyd Carr was such a man. Devoted to his teams, never capitulating on the field, but also never forgetting that his first - and most sacred - duty was to the growth and future success of the men he coached. That is why, I believe, he is - even today - both revered and reviled. Revered, for his national championship, his domination of the Big Ten through most of his seasons as head coach, and his mastery over John Cooper. But, also reviled, for the loss to Appalachain State, his inability to produce a defense that could stop a mobile quarterback, and his record against Jim Tressel.

Ultimately, I believe that he will be regarded among Michigan's great coaches. While fans' devotion to him may never equal that of Bo, at least in our present era, he will eventually be seen for what he was: a champion.

Lloyd, you came to head Michigan Football under the most turbulent times.  Angry.  Angry at the way your good friend had been treated, by the media, and by the people at the University who acted cowardly.  But you carried the torch, because you knew it was your responsibility.  To the school, your fellow coaches, and most importantly, your players.  Who always backed you.  

You took Michigan, when no one thought we were relevant anymore, and brought us back to heights that we had not achieved in most of our lifetimes. You kept Michigan relevant, and made sure that while others faltered, we almost always had something to stick our chest out about.  Big Ten Championships, Bowl game after Bowl game...almost always on New Year's Day. Winning records, every year. While people harped, and called for your head, on almost a weekly basis at times, you managed to keep these things going, perhaps overcoming your flaws, by sticking to what you did well.  You made sure every player knew what it meant to be Michigan, and what that Tradition meant, and did for a team.  What other programs don't know, because they've never had it, and never will.  That's why, no matter how ugly things had gotten, we always seems to find a way to turn it around, where other programs crumble, and crash and burn.  

It had happened before...ND-Syracuse...losing to Oregon and Iowa, then being down big vs. Minnesota....and yes, The Horror, and Oregon. But lost in all that is what those teams did after that.  Winning, or being in position to win Big Ten titles.  Finishing with glorious bowl game wins.  Never allowing the team to quit, keeping them motivated, and making sure when we fall down, we get right back up, and fight.  The lows were low...but they never stayed that way.  We were not MSU, letting one game ruin our season.

Your many big wins have brought much joy to me and mine.  But what I hope you'll best be remembered for is the honest believe you had that Michigan was a special place, and things should be done in a special way.  Not in a X's and O's sense...but, for all the whining of the cynical nature of college athletics, that it COULD be done the right way...and should. That they were not just platitudes, but the way to do things, as taught to you by Bo. Unless you were really a part of it, you could say it's just like everywhere else...but it really wasn't, and isn't.  And hopefully never will be.

Because players are not just a means to an end...but they ARE the end.  To become not only better athletes, but successful students, and more importantly, successful men.  Not everyone ever has or will succeed in all those areas.  But it was never for lack of trying. The greatest honor to me is not only do I wish I could have played for you, but I would have been proud to send my kid to play for you, with no worries. 

Because, as time will show, you were a GREAT coach.  But as great a job as you did in your field....it completely PALES to how great a man you were, and are. You never embarrassed us, and always strived to make us proud.

I'm happy to see you get away from the day to day stuff that was never your interest.  You deserve your retirement, and are a man capable of enjoying it.  I was glad to see Bo retire, not because I wouldn't have loved to see him having all the coaching records and continuing as long as he wanted...but because I'm convinced it lengthened his life by almost decades...and I really liked having him around.  And I feel the same way about you.  For I like to think of this as not good-bye.....but just see you later.

Thanks for everything, Coach.  

He was an English teacher and a Football Coach. I loved that about him.

 

He, only, in a general honest thought
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle, and the elements
So mixed in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, 'This was a man!'

lloyd made me a michigan fan, and he'll always be one of my favorites. honestly, if i had the gifts to play big-time college football, i don't think there's anyone i'd rather play for, past or present.

Count me as a big Lloyd Carr fan. I was unbelievably frustrated with him at times, particulary late in his career, but he carried himself with dignity and brought a sense of ethics to the college game that seems lacking today. One thing I can say about him -- if I had a son, I would feel good about sending him to play for Lloyd, because he seemed to privilege the welfare of his players over simply winning. He also understood that first and foremost, college football players are supposed to be students -- and that playing football is supposed to be fun. This is probably quixotic, but admirable nevertheless.

Lloyd-ball may have been frustratingly predictable and frequently dull, but Lloyd as a human being was greatly respected by his peers around the country.  One of them was Mike Beloitti, whom I chatted with in '06 after a financial execs event in Portland, OR.  Belotti was the guest speaker, and when asked who he most admired in the coaching proifession, without a hitch said "Lloyd Carr...because of his class, integrity, credibility, consistency, and the way he cares about his players."  When I caught up with Belotti and told him I was raised in AA and had friends who know Lloyd, he opened up even more.  He said Lloyd was getting more up tight as the years progressed, and kiddingly asked me to relay back to him that he should "lighten up" and come out to more coaching events (ie, corporate sponsored ones that Lloyd grew to despise...read Nike).  He said Lloyd was always grumpy at those gatherings, and was concerned he wasn't having as much fun coaching as he used to.  Interestingly, Belotti said Lloyd gained a great reputation with high school coaches, etc. as someone who connected with players beyond the football level and that translated to recruiting success.  Belotti said he emulated this later in his career and said it made coaching much more satisfying knowing the difference he could make in kids lives...many of which were a real mess when they got on campus. 

Right behind Bo there was LC!  Mr. Carr was a great head coach both on the field and off. Thanks for your hard work as associate AD. I hope you have a truly enjoyable retirement. You have earned it!

and wherever you go, GO BLUE!

Michigan is like family, and while I may have criticized Coach Carr over the years, I also smacked (literally and figuratively) anyone outside the fold who insulted him.  Carr carried himself with humility and commitment as the Michigan coach, and for that I will always be grateful.  

There has to be a procedure available that can somehow extract certain qualities of Carr and implant them in Rich Rodriguez.  Almost all of Carr's weaknesses as a coach on and off the field are RR's strengths and vice versa.  I want a hybrid, the perfectly genetically engineered football coach. 

No question about it.

Retire again?  Why, I have it on good authority from a bunch of OSU fans (and more than one sportswriter) that the first time, he was fired. [/sarcasm]

I always admired Lloyd and the face he put on the program, as well as his tireless work for the children's hospital.  May you have an excellent retirement, sir.

I keep that memorial speech on my ipod.  Makes me emotional every time.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, a longtime friend of Carr's, said the two men started having conversations about Carr's future in early March when Brandon took on his new position.
"It was a process," Brandon said Tuesday. "We've had discussions off and on since I came on board in March. We talked about his role, things I was planning in the department, and it just kind of evolved. I got him thinking about what are his objectives at this time of his career, and he came to the conclusion this is his answer.
"We've been having conversations for the past several weeks, so I'm not surprised (by Carr's decision), because I've been a part of this. If Lloyd Carr is happy, I'm happy. He's one of a kind."

AND

Lloyd:

"I am absolutely excited about the Michigan athletic department and so I leave with great feelings about the direction of our program at Michigan."

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100714/SPORTS0201/7140341/Lloyd-Carr-is...