Michigan Football: Coach's Corner -- Lloyd Carr -- What he has meant to the University of Michigan

Posted at 6:00am — 1/6/2008

Michigan Football: Coach’s Corner — Lloyd Carr — What he has meant to the University of Michigan

Coach Carr’s legacy as a true Michigan Man is set in stone.

He is much more than just a coach. He is a father figure along with a guy that cares about his kids.

Carr is involved with the University and the community. He has been active in support of women’s athletics, endowing a women’s sports scholarship that is presented annually to a female student-athlete at Michigan. Also does a lot for the University along with a wide line of charities that he really believes in like his annual summer “Carr’s Wash for Kids” has been held with the proceeds benefiting C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. The men’s fantasy camp for prostate cancer and the women’s summer camp for breast cancer.

Nobody can question this man’s love or dedication to Michigan football, athletics and school. He provided stability during one of Michigan’s toughest times. Taking over for his good friend Gary Moeller he provided the solid leadership when needed. Honesty and integrity were never an issue when dealing with Coach Carr. Where he was greatly underrated was his knowledge of football.

CoachBt had the privileged of sitting at small table and talking defense with him. He was always willing and available to help, even if your program had no players Michigan would ever be interested in. In 13 years Coach Carr’s record was 122-40 overall, 81-23 in Big Ten. His teams won over 75% of their games, including 5 conference championships, 6 – 10 win seasons and reaching the pinnacle a national Championship in 1997.

Key Players:
Michigan teams under Coach Carr produced 11 consensus All Americans, including potential 2 time AA Jake Long and Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson. And who knows, maybe Mike Hart will get added to the list making it an even dozen! There were also over 50 1st team All Big Ten 1st teamers, 9 and counting 1st round draft picks, and 11 and counting 2nd round picks.

All Carr Michigan team
Offense:
TE – Jermaine Truman and Bennie Joppru
OT – Jake Long, Jon Jansen, John Runyan, Backus, Maurice Williams
OG – Steve Hutchinson, David Baas
OC – Rod Payne and Pearson
QB – Tom Brady
RB – TD Tim, A-Train, Mike Hart, Chris Perry
WR – Braylon Edwards, Armani Toomer, David Terrell

Defense:
DE – Glen Steele, Lamar Woodley, James Hall
DT – Will Carr, Alan Branch
LB – Larry Foote, Irons, Ian Gold, David Harris
CB – Charles Woodson, Marlin Jackson, Leon Hall
S – Marcus Ray, Cato June

Key games under Lloyd Carr as head coach:
Coach Carr was 6-7 against Ohio State and that is blemish on his record. Michigan coaches need to have winning record against the Buckeyes.

Besides the entire 1997 season many of his biggest wins were in Bowl games.

The 1998 Rose Bowl, 1999 and 2001 Citrus Bowls, and a huge Orange Bowl victory against Alabama. But other than 1998 Rose Bowl none were any bigger or sweeter than 2008 win over Florida.

Here are the 15 key wins under Lloyd Carr’s as head coach in our opinion:
1995 Michigan’s comeback win 18-17 last-second victory over Virginia when Scot Driesbach threw a touchdown pass to Mercury Hayes to end the game on the last play.
1995 Michigan beating 2nd ranked Ohio State 31-23, behind Tim Biakabutuka’s 313 rushing yards.
1996 Michigan defeated 2nd ranked undefeated Ohio State 13-9 in Columbus.
1997 Michigan defeated of 4th ranked Ohio State, 20-14.
1997 Michigan won 21-16 over 7th ranked Washington State in the Rose Bowl and were selected as the national champions by the Associated Press.
1999 Michigan 24-17 victory over Ohio State.
1999 Michigan beating 5th ranked Alabama in the Orange Bowl 35-34 in overtime.
2000 Michigan won 38-26 victory at Ohio State.
2002 Michigan won 31-29 victory against 11th ranked Washington as Philip Brabbs connected on a 44-yard field goal as time expired.
2003 Michigan rallied for the greatest comeback victory in school history with 31 points in the final stanza to defeat the Gophers 38-35.
2003 Michigan won 35-21 victory against 4th ranked Ohio State.
2004 Michigan’s 45-37 triple overtime win over rival Michigan State.
2005 Michigan claimed a dramatic 27-25 victory over undefeated and 8th ranked Penn State on the game’s final play from Chad Henne to Mario Manningham.
2006 Michigan going to 2nd ranked Notre Dame and beating them 47-21.
2007 season Lloyd Carr’s last game when they beat Florida in the ’08 Citrus Bowl by beating Florida 41-35.

Players drafted under Lloyd Carr as Head Coach:
2008: ?????? (Jake Long, Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Shawn Crable, Mario Manningham?, Adrian Arrington?, Terrance Taylor?). Any others maybe Adam Kraus and Jamar Adams?
2007: Leon Hall, Alan Branch, LaMarr Woodley, David Harris, Steve Breaston, Prescott Burgess, Tyler Ecker.
2006: Gabe Watson, Jason Avant, Tim Massaquoi.
2005: Braylon Edwards, Marlin Jackson, David Baas.
2004: Chris Perry, Jeremy LeSueur, John Navarre, Tony Pape
2003: Bennie Joppru, Victor Hobson, B.J. Askew, Drew Henson, Cato June, Charles Drake.
2002: Marquise Walker, Larry Foote, Jonathan Goodwin, Hayden Epstein.
2001: David Terrell, Steve Hutchinson, Jeff Backus, Anthony Thomas, Maurice Williams.
2000: Ian Gold, Aaron Shea, Josh Williams, Dhani Jones, Tom Brady, Rob Renes.
1999: Jon Jansen, Jerame Tuman, Tai Streets, Andre Weathers.
1998: Charles Woodson, Chris Floyd, Brian Griese, Glen Steele, Chris Howard.
1997: Rod Payne, Damon Denson, William Carr.
1996: Tim Biakabutuka, Amani Toomer, Jon Runyan, Mercury Hayes, Jay Riemersma.

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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