Carr Officially Announces Retirement

Photo Courtesy UM Photo Services, Martin Vloet

Lloyd Carr held a news conference earlier today to officially announce his retirement, and I must say, it basically summed up what kind of a guy he was at Michigan for all these years. He went out in a classy way with the football program being his main concern, and didn’t hesitate to hurl his always funny one-liners back at the media. Over the years, we have gotten to know Lloyd Carr through his post-game and Monday press conferences, and one thing has always been constant: he has a sense of humor and shows what his true personality is like. Most are used to seeing the stone-faced Carr that patrols the sidelines and yells at officials on gameday, but today we got a look at the real Carr, going out in the same way he came in: with class.

Video of the news conference can be viewed here (from MGoBlue.com) or here, where audio can be heard as well. I’m going to go through the entire thing and highlight anything that I think is worth mentioning, so that is posted below.

Opening statement:

“Thank you and good morning. The last 39 years I have spent my life in the greatest of games and have loved every moment of it. For the last 28 years I’ve spent my life in the greatest of places: the University of Michigan. And for the last 28 years I’ve had the greatest of jobs: Michigan football. 13 years ago when I was named the head coach, I took as my guide the words of Pakenham Beatty. He said, ‘By your own soul learn to live. If some men thwart you take no heed. If some men hate you have no care. Sing your song, dream your dream, hope your hope, and pray your prayer.’ And that’s what I’ve tried to do.

“And so on this week of this week of Thanksgiving, no one has more to be thankful for then I do. I want to say thanks to some people who have been instrumental in my life here at Michigan. It’s impossible to name all of those who have helped me, who have assisted me, and who have been there in time of need.

“First, I want to thank the board of regents of the University of Michigan. I have never, not one time, had any interference from them and I’ve had great support from those people who have served in what is a difficult job. I have worked for two great presidents. People who in the history of university life in this country are among the best. They have served this institution in ways that make us all proud, and I have had the great fortune to have a great relationship with both of them.

“Lee Bollinger when I became the head coach, I went up and saw him, and from that moment I admired the way he ran the University and I certainly admired the way that he dealt with me and all the issues. He was not a great football fan, but he understood the role that intercollegiate athletics played and he understood the kind of program that he wanted. Mary Sue Coleman is a beautiful lady and a tough-minded, decisive leader who has been a delight in the years that I’ve worked with her.

“I worked for three athletics directors, all of them good men and people who loved this institution. Joe Roberson, who hired me as the football coach here at Michigan. Tom Goss, who was here a number of years – a former player and a guy that I respect and admire. And most recently, Bill Martin, who is a guy that’s done some extraordinary things here in terms of Michigan athletics and during the course of our relationship, he has done everything that I’ve ever asked him to do. We’ve had a great relationship. He’s a stand up guy and I appreciate all of the things that he did to help us in football.

“Our staff at Schembechler Hall – we have a great family there. There’s a lot of love in that building. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by some great people. People that have been here before I got here. People who went beyond the call of duty in terms of helping this program be successful. The people within the athletic department: our academic support program, the medical staff we have here – the people who understand that it is the health and welfare of the student athlete that always comes first so our parents of our players always know that their health is not going to be sacrificed for what we’re trying to do here. The faculty and the administration here have been tremendous.

“Our coaches, I want to thank men who are talented, men who have great passion and love for the game and great love for the players. They are men that have represented this University with great integrity and I admire and respect and love all of them. Last, I want to thank our players, because that’s really the essence of intercollegiate athletics. I’ve always felt, and I always try to create an environment and have a program where one of the values we cherish is that when these guys leave here they’ve had an experience that will be meaningful to them beyond the field of play. I’ve loved them all. Sometimes that has been tough love, but in the big picture and the big scheme of things, I admire [them]. In today’s world of intercollegiate athletics at a place like Michigan, the pressure on those guys is unbelievable. They’ve got to want that pressure. I admire the way they’ve handled it. I admire the way they’ve competed. I love them for the way they love the University of Michigan.

“I had the opportunity several years ago to get to know Robin Flemming, a former president here at Michigan in the 60’s and 70’s and went to see him one day and I had a problem with a player and I wanted to get his input. He told me that when he became the president at Michigan, he came in with the premise that college students are going to make mistakes. That hit me in a way that I hadn’t understood before. It changed my approach because any time a player got in trouble, that’s one of the worst things you can have as a coach. But his insight helped me to understand the most important thing you can do as a coach when a guy has a problem is to deal with it in a way that will help him understand that he has to be accountable and he has to do things in a way that will prove that he wants to be here. I can say this that for the great majority of guys I’ve recruited here, I’m extremely proud of [them]. I am thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to coach them, because in many instances I learned more from my players than they ever learned from me.

“I have been in a position here to make so many great friends and I’m thankful for that because it has enriched my life and really made me one of the most fortunate people in this country. I have a great family and certainly they are people I’m proud of that I love. I only can say that being a family of a coach in this environment is hard, and I’m sorry for some of the things they’ve had to endure because of my position. But they’ve done it in a way that has made me proud.

“Before I take any questions I do want to address one issue of the timing of this announcement. My timing is based on one thing: What’s best for Michigan. What’s best for Michigan football. There are no other motives. This announcement is made at a time when the recruiting process can be handled in a way that this program can go forward. To do it any later, to do it after a bowl game, would’ve been absolutely ridiculous. I did it for this program, as I’ve tried to make all of the decisions that I’ve made since I’ve come here. So, any of those rumors about anything else… This is much to big to be about me or somebody that’s gonna coach here, and I want to make that clear.

“My role in the upcoming weeks and in the selection of the coach will be defined strictly by Bill Martin. Whatever that role, if any, it may be. As we go forward, I have only one wish: that this program will continue to abide by the values established by Bo Schembechler and the men who preceded him and the men who succeeded him. And that is to win with integrity. That’s what we want to do, because in the big picture, the character of this institution will be defined by the way this program is run, and that really is what Michigan has always been about, and what I hope will always be about.”

On why this season was the right one to retire…

“I know what this job entails. I know what it takes. It was the time. It was the right time. It’s the right time for Michigan and it’s the right time for me.”

On when he knew this was going to be his final season…

“I don’t have an answer to that. Bill [Martin] came to see me at a low moment in this season. He said to me, ‘you know, I want you to coach here as long as I’m here,’ which was something I really appreciated, because it was at a time where probably a lot of people certainly did not want that to happen. Ultimately, he said that when you do make up your mind, I would like to know as it gives me an opportunity to get going in the search. A week or so later I called him up and he came over and I told him it was time, because I wanted him to have all the time necessary to do the things to hire a great coach here.”

On why he’s retiring…

“I’m not tired. I may look tired, but I still have a great passion for the game and the players and the competition. But I also know that there are some things that I don’t have anymore. So, it’s time. That’s all I can say to you.”

On what he’ll do once he’s retired…

“I’ve always believe that part of your responsibility is to know when you don’t have everything that it takes. This is a tough job. It’s the greatest of jobs, but it’s a tough job. Being honest with yourself, I’ve tried to do that. I’ve tried to look at myself and the way that I’ve approached this job, and it’s simply time for me. What I’m going to do, I don’t know. I have an opportunity to stay here, which I appreciate. But I’m just going to see what’s out there. Hopefully, I can do something that’s meaningful.”

On what he won’t miss about coaching…

“Every day when you walk into that office something is going to surprise you. There’s going to be disappointments every day. Dealing with those is part of the great challenge. You’ve got 100 players on your team. You’ve got a lot of people in your program, and there’s always challenges, there’s always issues, and I think it’s time for somebody else to worry about all those issues. Because it’s consuming, there’s never a day you’re not at work. No matter where you are, it’s 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

On leaving with family, health, and friends…

“Almost the day that I was announced as a coach, Red [Simmons] came into my office and gave me a medal. He said, ‘Lloyd, when you leave here, you want to make sure you’ve got your health, you’ve got your friends, and you’ve got your family. Because really, that is what life is all about.’ It’s great advice. I have all those things as far as I know, despite all those rumors out there.”

On the meeting yesterday with his players to announce that he was retiring…

“I don’t know what it was like for them. I think they were probably cheering like hell when I told them. Yesterday was one of the most emotional days of my life. I cried more tears than I knew I had and I’ve never laughed so hard in my life because there were so many memories. It was a wonderful day.”

On what he’s looking forward to doing that he could never do before as a coach due to his schedule…

“My wife will have a few duties for me now that she has already written down. I don’t know. I talked to some people who have been very successful in business that are also nearing the possibility of retirement and they all have said the same thing: the biggest mistake that people have made in retirement is that they almost always feel that they retired too soon. I’m very much at peace with this timing. By the same token, I love the game. I love this place. I’m gonna miss that. I know that. When you enter a new phase in your life there’s always uncertainty. You don’t what’s gonna come, but I feel very good about this time.”

On becoming a member of the media…

“What I want to do is be a critic of the media. Some of you won’t like what I write.”

On Les Miles being a possible candidate for the job…

“When it gets to discussing any potential candidates, I defer to Bill Martin. This process will be developed and executed by Bill, so I’m not going to get into all of the things that are his job.

“I can say that there’s a lot of things happening along the recruiting trail. It’s a very competitive business. Those are things that you put to rest. For some of those rumors that are out there, I’m not going to answer all of them. I’m not going to talk about candidates, because that’s not my job. I do want to make it clear that I’m not here to name the coach and all of that baloney that some of you have written.”

On the importance of his successor being a “Michigan Man”…

“You remember a guy named Schembechler? He wasn’t a Michigan man. Fritz Crisler wasn’t a Michigan man. Fielding Yost wasn’t a Michigan man. I think the only thing that I will say is that I know this: Bill wants to hire the finest coach in this country. I don’t have any doubts that he will do that.”

On what Michigan will do in regards to recruiting until a new coach is named…

“Rather than me go out and waste visits – a head coach only gets one visit when he goes in to a recruit’s home or in to his high school – this timing will enable, when that coach is named, [him to] immediately go and visit those kids and secure those commitments. Plus, we have 7 or 8 left that we wanted. It’s about holding on to a recruiting class. Because if this recruiting class falls apart, 4 years from now there’s a hole in Michigan football. The only important thing here is this program. It’s not about me. It’d be easier for me to wait, because I wouldn’t have to be here today. It’s about this recruiting [class].”

On the Michigan job…

“This is a job that seeks the candidate. You don’t seek this job. This job seeks you.”

On any advice he’d give to the next coach…

“You’ve got to be able to take a punch. Know that it’s all those punches that are worth it, because you get to go down that tunnel and you get to stand on that sideline and you get to represent the greatest university in the world and you get to recruit the finest kids that play this game. You get the great challenge of trying to do something that’s very difficult. That is to be the very very best in this country. It’s hard to do, but it’s fun. It’s what makes life really worthwhile – the challenge of trying to do something with a group of people that no one can do themselves.”

On speaking with the recruits…

“We have made contact with all of those guys and they know that those commitments and those scholarship offers will be honored.”

On having an office in Schembechler Hall after being done with coaching…

“No, I will not.”

On the role he’d like to have with the next coach…

“I want to be a guy that is there if needed. That’s it. Period. I want to be a guy that supports Michigan football.”

On what went through his head when he woke up this morning…

“I was trying to make sure I put on the right socks. Really since I made that decision there was a period in there where it was difficult. At some point, I really was at peace with it. When I woke up this morning, I felt very good from the standpoint that I knew I was doing the right thing. This day is special because it’s the end. It’s the beginning. It’s both.”

On if he knew going into this season it would be his last…

“Yeah.”

On his biggest accomplishments and disappointments…

“Every time you lose it’s miserable. They’re all miserable. Certain games are more miserable than others. It is a misery of its own quality. What I’ll remember is being in that locker room after some spectacular performances and singing “The Victors” with those teams. Those are the moments you don’t forget. Those are the moments that make everything you do worthwhile. I know of no other profession that the exhilaration, the incredible euphoria that you experience when you’ve won a tough ball game right at the end. We’ve had a lot of those.

“It’s the players that give meaning to all of that. I’ve had some guys that I’ve had to discipline and that I’ve had hard times with. I look back on some of those kids today who learned valuable lessons because there’s always the question of if this game develops character. I don’t think this game develops character, but I think it defines character. You play this game long enough, you coach it, then it will define who you are. Did you quit when you got knocked down? Did you violate the rules in order to win? All the things that you have to do in coaching and playing this game ultimately will define who you are. That’s one of the real values of the game. There is an incredible value to this game. And there are problems, yes. And there are criticisms that are legitimate, yes. But at its essence, this game is valuable, like so many other games.”

On who his favorite player is…

“They’re all my favorites.”
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As Bill Martin put it at the end, “Go Lloyd and Go Blue.”