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Michigan's Carr Decides To Step Down As Coach

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The Associated Press

Published: November 19, 2007

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan coach Lloyd Carr will retire today after 13 seasons that included a national championship and five Big Ten titles, but not enough victories against Ohio State to satisfy Wolverines fans.

Carr told The Associated Press of his decision Sunday by phone and said he would not comment further. A news conference will be held today on campus.

The 62-year-old coach informed his players and staff of the decision Sunday during a team meeting at Schembechler Hall.

"It's a hard thing to deal with," safety Jamar Adams said. "We're like a family, and when the head of your family is leaving, it's hard."

The news comes a day after Michigan lost to Ohio State for the fourth straight year, ending a trying regular season for Carr and the Wolverines that started with an embarrassing loss to Appalachian State.

It was a move many expected last winter when he altered his contract, paving the way for this to be his last season on the sideline, and later made sure the school gave all of his assistants unprecedented, two-year deals.

Carr is 121-40 with a .752 winning percentage, ranking him seventh among active coaches.

The four consecutive losses to Ohio State, matched Michigan's longest losing streak in the storied series, and Carr became the first coach in school history to lose six times in seven years in the rivalry.

The Jim Tressel-led Buckeyes beat the Wolverines 14-3, Saturday, dropping Carr to 6-7 overall in the matchup that matters most.

Carr led the Wolverines to the 1997 national championship and five Big Ten titles. He won .779 percent of his conference games, trailing the success rate of just two coaches that were in the Big Ten for at least a decade: Michigan's Bo Schembechler and Fielding Yost. Against top-10 teams, Carr was 17-9.

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