Carr's work off the field will never be replaced

Though many—including myself—were calling for the head of Michigan’s Lloyd Carr, the literal face of Wolverine athletics, Carr did something miraculous to the University of Michigan during his 13 years at the helm of Michigan football.

Carr rescued a program that had become sour after 40-plus years devoid of a national championship, and he rescued an athletic department that had become used to scandal. Michigan had a bad rap, thanks in part to the early 90s Fab Five basketball team getting paid better in college than in the NBA, and to hockey coach Red Berenson being cited for public urination while under the influence of alcohol in 1994, as well as to football coach Gary Moeller who was forced to resign in 1995 after a drunken confrontation with police.

But when Carr was hired in 1995 as interim coach, and later named head coach, he restored class to the Wolverine program.

Michigan has not had one recruiting violation under Carr, something that is unusual among top-tier college athletic teams. Carr has also become a viable part of the Michigan community—and I’m not just talking about the university. I mean the whole state.

Carr has raised more than $1.5 million for the Carr Cancer Fund and more than half-million dollars for the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. In addition, Carr personally endowed a full women's athletic scholarship.

He sponsored “Carr’s Wash for Kids,” an event that raised money for local hospitals, and has backed countless other charities which, thanks to his name recognition, raised tens of millions more dollars.

Carr made sure his student-athletes really were students first and athletes second.

“Unlike a lot of coaches, he actually reads books with letters other than 'X' and 'O,'” Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press said.

Carr is well-respected among his athletes, peers and journalists for these very reasons.

"Lloyd Carr is one of the true gentlemen of college football," rival Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said Sunday according to espn.com. "His legacy is extraordinary and his leadership in the coaching profession is greatly appreciated. He made a difference in collegiate athletics."

ESPN’s college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit said he will remember Carr because he “didn’t forget why he got into (coaching),” which was to influence college athletes in a positive manner.

Carr’s players agree.

"(Carr’s retirement announcement) was a sad thing to hear, but I enjoyed every moment of being here with him," senior linebacker Chris Graham said.

"It was emotional," senior safety Jamar Adams said after Carr told the team of his future plans in a closed meeting Sunday. "My eyes welled up, and a couple other guys' eyes welled up. It's a family, and … the leader of your family is about to leave. That's hard to deal with."

It’s something to be said that your three star players would turn down sure millions in the NFL for one last crack with you at the helm, as Chad Henne, Mike Hart and Jake Long did this past season.

So it’s too bad that such a good guy will most likely be remembered for his inability to beat the Tressel-led Buckeyes and the embarrassing loss to Appalachian State on opening day of the 2007 season.

Instead, Carr should be remembered for restoring Michigan’s prominence with the 1997 national championship, leading Michigan to five Big Ten titles in his thirteen years, and leaving as the third winningest coach in Michigan’s storied history (121-40).

Only legends Bo Schembechler (194-48-5, no national championships) and Fielding Yost (165-29-10, six national championships) have more career victories.

But Carr’s recent record against the Buckeyes (1-6 versus Tressel, 6-7 all-time) and in bowl games (5-7) was ultimately his undoing. In the “what have you done for me lately” world of college sports, mediocrity was just not going to cut it for the most successful program in college football history. Especially when Wolverine fans circle two dates every year: Ohio State and the subsequent bowl game.

So Michigan will usher in a new era when the new Wolverine coach is hired, which will most likely be Les Miles, the current LSU coach. The Tigers are currently No. 1 in the BCS standings, and Miles, a Schembechler prodigy, has made it clear that he wants to coach his alma mater.

He has made that so clear, in fact, that LSU wrote into his contract that he would owe the Tigers $1.25 million if he leaved to coach at Michigan, according to the “termination by coach” section of his contract. Michigan is the only school mentioned in that deal that Miles could leave to coach.

Whether or not Miles, or some other candidate, joins the Michigan coaching staff, that person will have their work cut out for them.

Not on the field, where Carr has left the program in better shape than what he inherited, including a stellar recruiting class coming in next year.

But rather, it will be almost impossible to replace what Carr has done off the field.

“He's the best person I've ever worked with, and I've been with him for 16 years,” running backs coach Fred Jackson said. “So that's how I look at it. He's a great person, and Michigan will never replace him in my mind."