Carr Forced to Retire?

On Monday, University of Michigan head coach, Lloyd Carr will announce his retirement after a roller coaster career at Michigan. Carr compiled a 121-40 record, which included five Big Ten championships. The most important moment of Carr's tenure was when he led the Michigan Wolverines to a share of the 1997 National Championship with Nebraska.

While seasonal records were somewhat consistent during his tenure, the latter years did not please Wolverines fans like Carr's first few years. Carr started 5-1 in his first six matchups vs. archrival Ohio State, but in the last seven he was 1-6. Carr also won four straight bowl games from 1998-2001, but has only won the 2003 Outback Bowl since. What have you done for me lately is what is boils down to here for Carr.

The question is though was Carr forced to retire? All the talk before last year's 2006 11-2 season was that Carr was going to need a miracle to survive. Well, the Wolverines started 11-0, and it appeared all the firing talk would be over. However, he would lose to Ohio State, and be embarrassed by USC in the Rose Bowl. In my opinion, those two losses ruined any chance of Carr being given an extension or just a vote of confidence from his superiors. Obviously they could not fire Carr after an 11-2 season, but he needed to have a special season this year to survive. The losses to Appalachian State and Oregon eliminated any chance at a National Championship this year, and all but sealed Carr's fate.

There were eight weeks between those losses and when stories of his retirement began to leak. I believe that the Michigan athletic department got together with Lloyd Carr and gave him the opportunity to retire on his own. I'm sure he got some sort of sexy buyout to agree, but it saved Michigan the bad public relations move of firing a coach who won them so many big games in the 1990s. Expect Les Miles, of LSU, to become the next Michigan coach.

Pat Morgan