Lloyd Carr, former head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, is leaving the mentorship post for good after being part of the university’s successful sporting campaign for three decades. His retirement will take effect on September 1, two months after the legendary football coach turns 65.
During his 13-year tenure as head coach, he led the Wolverines to a 1997 National Championship, five Big Ten Conference wins and into their recent successful campaign as Capital One Bowl champs two years ago, after which he relinquished the coaching post to take over the Associate Athletic Director job until his retirement.
As he prepares to say goodbye to his magnanimous collegiate athletic career, Carr said through a press statement that he is “thankful” for Joe Roberson’s trust when he assigned him as head coach in 1995, the opportunity to work alongside predecessor Coach Gary Moeller, successor Coach Bo Schembechler, and all the other football coaches, and the friendships he have forged throughout the years, in and out of the field.
He added that he is most thankful for having the opportunity to impart knowledge and harness the skills of all the players who are part and parcel of the university’s football winning tradition. We’re pretty certain that the university reciprocates the appreciation as Carr leaves them a legacy of winning more than a hundred games for the Wolverines (122-40 win-loss record), which aside from him, has only been achieved by two other coaches – Schembechler and Fielding Yost. In addition, the school’s athletic director Dave Brandon, calls Carr “a man of integrity”, with a fervor for both the sport and its players, and with a kind heart as well, as Carr is also noted for his efforts and involvement in the state’s charity and humanitarian works.
His career as a football trainer for the school began in 1980 when he held the defensive backs coach post. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1986 till he finally achieved the peak of mentorship when he was named as the Wolverines’ head coach nine years after. During his third season as head, he earned the prestigious AFCA award as Coach of the Year.
