Michigan Stadium tunnel named after Lloyd Carr

This is awesome! #GoBlue

A former Michigan football head coach and longtime assistant has gotten his name on the stadium in a new honor.

Michigan Athletics announced that the tunnel of The Big House is getting a new name attached, as former coach Lloyd Carr, who oversaw the 1997 national championship team after taking over the program in 1995, now has his name attached above the iconic player entrance to the stadium.

Information about the move comes via a press release from the football team.

Full release

The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved Thursday (Sept. 22) the Athletic Department’s request to name the tunnel of Michigan Stadium after Lloyd Carr, the retired Hall of Fame and National Champion Head Football Coach for the Wolverines. The Lloyd Carr Tunnel at Michigan Stadium will be formally dedicated prior to the Penn State game on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Carr compiled a 122-40 overall record during his career and led the Wolverines to six 10-win seasons in 13 years leading the program (1995-2007). He guided Michigan to the 1997 national championship and five Big Ten Conference crowns.

“Lloyd Carr set a high standard as a coach and mentor,” said Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. “He was a great leader and an example for his players and staff. Lloyd was a teacher as much as he was a football coach, always looking to make a positive impact on the lives of his players. This is a well-deserved recognition for all that Lloyd has accomplished and contributed to this University. We are so happy to honor his impact and legacy at the University of Michigan in this way.”

“Lloyd Carr was one of the great coaches and leaders in college football,” said Jim Harbaugh, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach. “We are forever proud that he was our coach, ally and trusted friend. He was loyal to the University of Michigan and was committed to the development of his players as young men, citizens and football players. Lloyd personally helped me become a better player during my time at Michigan, expanding my knowledge by teaching me defensive coverages and tendencies when I was injured in 1984. That experience helped me throughout my playing career and shows his dedication to each player and the team’s overall success. It will be an honor to leave the locker room through the Lloyd Carr Tunnel on our way to the field every home game.”

Carr arrived at the University of Michigan as an assistant football coach, serving 15 years under Bo Schembechler (1980-89) and Gary Moeller (1990-94) before becoming the Wolverines’ head coach.

His 120 victories trail only Fielding H. Yost (165-29-10) and his mentor, Bo Schembechler (194-48-5), at Michigan. Carr was even more impressive in Big Ten play, compiling an 81-23 mark. He became the eighth coach in Big Ten history and third in Michigan history, joining Yost and Schembechler, to claim five or more Big Ten titles (1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004). Carr’s teams finished in the top three of the conference standings for 11 straight seasons before his retirement in 2007.

Carr guided the school to a bowl game in each of his 13 seasons, with 11 of those appearances coming on New Year’s Day. He became the first Wolverine coach to win four straight bowl games, doing so with victories in the 2001 Citrus Bowl, 2000 Orange Bowl, 1999 Citrus Bowl and 1998 Rose Bowl games. Michigan was ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for all but 14 of Carr’s 162 career games, including 65 appearances in the Top 10.

In addition to his work on the football field, Carr’s legacy of excellence continued through his involvement with the University, community and coaching fraternity. He and his late wife Laurie championed many fundraising initiatives including serving as the co-chairs of the campaign to build a new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital in the fall of 2011. They also endowed a scholarship awarded annually to a female student-athlete at U-M. Carr initiated the Women’s Football Academy and U-M Men’s Fantasy Football Experience which donated all proceeds to the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. He also served on the NCAA Rules Committee and was a member of the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees.

Carr was inducted in the state of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Carr becomes the fourth Michigan head football coach that won a national championship to have a building or part of a facility named after them on the Ross Athletic Campus: Oosterbaan Field House (Bennie Oosterbaan), Crisler Center (Herbert “Fritz” Crisler) and Yost Ice Arena (Fielding Yost). In addition, Bo Schembechler, the winningest coach in school history, has his name affixed to Schembechler Hall, the performance and training facility for the Michigan Football program.

Lloyd Carr’s grandson chooses Notre Dame, not Michigan

We can’t love this more. #GoBucks

There are legacy commitments and then there are — well legacy commitments. Former Michigan football head coach Lloyd Carr is woven in the very fabric of Wolverine football, being a longtime assistant and then head coach for 13 seasons.

You would think that would endure a relative of his to think very seriously about attending the school he coached at, but apparently not.

That brings us to this past week. Carr has a grandson who is a blue-chip quarterback in the 2024 class, C.J. Carr. He’s from Saline, Michigan, just a stone’s throw from Ann Arbor. According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Carr is ranked as the No. 5 quarterback and 20th overall recruit in the 2024 cycle and holds offers from almost every major school in the country, including TTUN.

However, there’s a glitch in the maize and blue matrix it seems. Instead of choosing his grandfather’s school, the young gunslinging Carr chose former Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman’s squad, Notre Dame.

Yes, that means not only did Carr choose a historical rival to give his verbal to, but he’ll be coached by a former Ohio State player as a head coach.

Of course, Michigan fans are claiming the school didn’t really want Carr, but that’s nothing but a line of bologna. You don’t turn a blind eye to a kid who is the grandson of a former head coach that brought home a national title right in your backyard.

No way, no how.

What might give you even more of a chuckle is seeing Lloyd Carr in a Notre Dame hat.

Michigan may have finally gotten the Ohio State monkey off its back last season, but these types of things just seem to follow Harbaugh and the program around.

The universe seems to be correcting itself, and let’s hope it comes back into perfect alignment on November 26.

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Five initial thoughts regarding QB Carr’s commitment to Notre Dame

What do you think happens next for the Irish?

What a huge commitment for the Irish. It really hasn’t sunk in how impactful Michigan quarterback [autotag]CJ Carr[/autotag] joining the 2024 Notre Dame recruiting class is but we can’t help but get ahead of ourselves. Here are my five initials thoughts regarding the star signal-caller heading South and joining the Blue and Gold.

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Notre Dame the victors for five-star quarterback C.J. Carr

The Irish get a massive commitment

HAIL!

Notre Dame has landed a commitment from one of its biggest offensive targets in recent memory as five-star quarterback C.J. Carr has announced he’ll attend Notre Dame.

Carr is graded as a five-star talent and is Notre Dame’s highest ranked quarterback commitment in ten years. Carr will be part of the 2024 recruiting class as he’s entering his junior season at Saline high school in Michigan.

As has been mentioned a time or two, Carr is the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr who split a national championship with Nebraska in 1997 while leading the Wolverines.

As for C.J., he’ll impact Notre Dame not just as a player but as what he will likely bring to recruiting efforts, specifically offensively. Having a five-star talent already secured in the 2024 class will certainly help in the pursuit of skill players to join him and it certainly won’t hurt Notre Dame’s standing with targets in the 2023 cycle either.

Carr threw for 2,696 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just four interceptions as a high school sophomore and checks in at 6-3, 190 pounds.

 

5-star Michigan HS quarterback CJ Carr is ready to commit

5-star class of 2024 quarterback prospect CJ Carr is ranked as a five-star recruit and plays football for Saline High School in Michigan.

Class of 2024 quarterback prospect CJ Carr is one of the best rising juniors in the country. Carr, who is ranked as a five-star recruit, plays football for Saline High School in Saline, Michigan.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound quarterback threw 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions in 2021. Carr is ready to make a commitment. He plans to commit on June 9 at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

The five-star quarterback will decide between Michigan, Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. CJ Carr is expected to commit to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, which could upset some Michigan fans.

Why would losing CJ Carr to a historic rival be so painful for Michigan? Carr not only has a very strong connection to the University of Michigan, but is also the top class of 2024 recruit in Michigan.

CJ Carr’s grandfather is Lloyd Carr, who played quarterback for the Wolverines for one season after spending three years at Missouri. Lloyd Carr coached at Michigan from 1980-2007. Carr served as Michigan’s head coach from 1995-2007 and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Lloyd Carr coached Tom Brady and other great players during his career. His grandson, CJ, is ready to decide where he will play college football. Photo by Joe Robbins-USA TODAY Sports

CJ Carr will create his own legacy. Perhaps it will be easier for him to do so away from Michigan. Carr has a lot to talent. He’s the No. 5 quarterback in the class of 2024 and the No. 20 overall recruit. Carr has scholarship offers from Minnesota, Notre Dame, Penn State, Wisconsin, and more.

Carr has every right to pick his own path, but is obviously very familiar with the Michigan program. The Wolverines were the first school to offer the five-star quarterback.

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Notre Dame gets a massive crystal ball for 2024 recruiting class

This would be huge

The Irish still do not have a commitment for the 2024 recruiting class but that doesn’t mean they aren’t working hard to get that verbal. There has been a massive change to the Notre Dame recruiting philosophy since Marcus Freeman’s arrival, and not just when he took over for Brian Kelly.

It has been a very positive effect, with Freeman pushing the envelop, and going after players who previously seemed like pipe-dreams including Michigan “legacy” CJ Carr. The grandson of former Wolverine head coach Lloyd Carr is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and you’d expect that he’d be a heavy lean to play for his grandfather’s school.

Well, 247Sports lead recruiter Steve Wiltfong doesn’t think that will be the case, at least at this moment. Today, Wiltfong placed a crystal ball pick for Carr to end up committing to Notre Dame.

I got a chance to see Carr at the Rise and Fire camp last year and as a freshman he was placed into the advance group and did not look like he was out of place.

This is an very interesting development, especially with the potential of another Michigan quarterback, 2023 star Dante Moore, very highly considering the Irish. Both would be huge recruiting wins, along with beating the rival Wolverines for some of their best in-state talents.

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UGA offers 2024 Michigan quarterback CJ Carr

Four-star class of 2024 quarterback prospect CJ Carr has received a scholarship offer from the Georgia Bulldogs.

Class of 2024 quarterback prospect CJ Carr has received a scholarship offer from the Georgia Bulldogs. Carr is a four-star recruit that plays football for Saline High School in Saline, Michigan.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound quarterback is a sophomore in high school. He threw 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions in 2021.

CJ Carr has strong ties to the Michigan Wolverines. His grandfather is Lloyd Carr, who played quarterback for the Wolverines for one season after spending three years at Missouri. Lloyd Carr coached at Michigan from 1980-2007. Carr served as Michigan’s head coach from 1995-2007 and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Lloyd Carr coached Tom Brady and other great players during his career. Photo by Joe Robbins-USA TODAY Sports

CJ Carr will create his own legacy. He’s the No. 10 quarterback in the class of 2024 and the second-ranked recruit in Michigan. Carr has offers from Minnesota, Notre Dame, Penn State, Wisconsin, and more.

Carr is no lock to attend Michigan. He has every right to pick his own path, but is obviously very familiar with their program. The Wolverines were the first school to offer the four-star quarterback.

CJ Carr announced his offer from Georgia football via Twitter:

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An Upset of Michigan this week on Notre Dame’s Watch Party

Saturday night Notre Dame will feature Darius Walker’s coming out party that left a top ten Michigan team shocked after a stunning upset

This Saturday night will offer a chance to relive an unlikely incredible moment during an otherwise frustrating season.  This week’s edition of the “Notre Dame Watch Party” features the 2004 home opener, a win over top-ten Michigan.

After a season opening loss at BYU a week earlier, Notre Dame welcomed Michigan to Notre Dame Stadium to kickoff their home season.  Michigan was ranked eighth in the nation, the Big Ten favorite that fall and had national championship dreams.

Led by Justin Tuck and Cory Mays on defense, Notre Dame kept Michigan out of the end zone and to just nine first half points.  The Irish offense was non-existent though, putting up a goose egg themselves.

Brady Quinn found Matt Shelton for a 46 yard touchdown in the early moments of the third quarter and an interception and then blocked punt helped set up a couple more Notre Dame scores.

Freshman running back Darius Walker, who didn’t get on the field the week previous, ran for a game-high 115 yards and two touchdowns en-route to a 28-20 win for the Irish.

In what wound up being an incredibly frustrating season that saw Notre Dame again upset a top-ten team in November when they knocked off No. 9 Tennessee, the Irish went just 6-5 in the regular season and saw head coach Tyrone Willingham fired before their bowl game.

2004 was tough as a fan, I don’t think any single game left me more upset than the blowing of a 20-7 halftime lead against Boston College right after Notre Dame had worked their way back into the top 25.  Instead of being 6-2, the Irish fell to 5-3 and the wheels seemingly came off besides for that win to come over Tennessee.

If you’re looking for something to do Saturday night the replay of the 2004 win over Michigan will bring back a memories of a thrilling afternoon in an otherwise incredibly maddening year.

One Michigan hire makes ESPN’s list of top 25 coaches in past 25 years

While two Wolverines made the list, only one was chosen because of his time in Ann Arbor.

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While the hiring of Jim Harbaugh hasn’t brought the Big Ten championships and College Football Playoff appearances as anticipated when he was brought aboard in December 2014, that doesn’t preclude him from ESPN’s list of 25 best college football coaching hires in the last 25 years.

But for Stanford in 2006.

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However, there is a Wolverines coach that outranks him in the countdown. One that has brought championships, regional and national, alike.

Just sneaking into the last 25 years is the man who delivered a national championship, leading an undefeated Michigan team in 1997, and having coached the Wolverines until his departure after the 2007 season.

15. Lloyd Carr, Michigan

Hired: Nov. 13, 1995 (named interim coach on May 13, 1995)

What he inherited: Michigan was a consistent top-10 team during the Bo Schembechler-Gary Moeller transition, but came off consecutive 8-4 seasons. Moeller resigned in May 1995 after his arrest for a drunken incident at a restaurant. Michigan’s national title drought, meanwhile, had reached 47 years.

What happened next: Carr, a longtime Michigan assistant with no college head-coaching experience, led the Wolverines to the national title in his second full season as permanent coach. Michigan claimed at least a share of the Big Ten title in three of four seasons between 1997 and 2000, and would win five conference championships under Carr. The Wolverines posted four AP top-10 finishes and eight top-15 finishes under Carr, whose teams were ranked for all but nine games and finished ranked in 12 of his 13 seasons. Carr struggled against Ohio State during the second half of his tenure but still went 6-7 against the Buckeyes. (Michigan has just one win since.)

While Carr had solid success, as noted, in the first half of his tenure, post Ohio State’s hire of Jim Tressel, there was little success to be found, at least in that rivalry.

For the current team, given the disruption made by the Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke hires, it’s not an apples to apples comparison. In the seven years before Harbaugh’s arrival, Michigan was on a decline. Even though it had a winning record at 46-42 in that span, the 11-2 season in 2011 was the apex, giving way to 2014’s 5-7 record.

Before Carr took over, he certainly had a better trajectory to work with. The seven years before he took over the helm, Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller combined to got 63-17-4.

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