Michigan Fans too Harsh on Carr
Wolverine Football Fans Should Leave their Coach Alone
Lloyd Carr has done enough for Michigan football to not deserve the grief he's getting for losing to Appalachian State
University of Michigan and other college football fans should lay off of Wolverine coach Lloyd Carr.
Before his team took to the field against Appalachian State on Saturday, Carr was sitting in the penthouse as far as Wolverine fans were concerned. He had his team off to an 11-0 start last season and almost won a national title. It didn’t take long for Carr to go right to the doghouse after the stunning 34-32 loss to Appalachian State.
Criticism is justified
Yes, Carr and his staff deserve criticism for having their team poorly prepared for this game. A team like Appalachian State shouldn’t have been able to have its way with the Wolverines, especially before 110,000 fans at Michigan Stadium.
This game was scheduled as a revenue maker for both schools. The script was supposed to end with Michigan being the winner. It’s disgraceful that a school like Michigan has a poorer field goal kicking unit than a team like Appalachian State. Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom wrote that Michigan's season was over after one game.
But upsets do happen. Appalachian State might not have as much talent as Michigan. But the talent was there. And the talent that was there was doing the job compared to the talent Michigan has.
Carr's record impressive
But Lloyd Carr has done enough in 12 seasons at Michigan that he doesn’t deserve the heavy amount of criticism he’s getting. His record is 113-36, not bad by any means.
But even Michigan fans, by overwhelming margins, predicted in an ESPN poll that Carr would be gone when the season ends.
Carr’s former boss, Bo Schembechler, was treated like a god among Wolverine fans. But Bo never won a national title. Carr won it in 1997 for the Wolverines and came very close last year. Carr also had a four-game bowl winning streak at one time. But he’s also lost four straight. But Bo was hardly an expert in winning bowl games.
Michigan fans are fickle. When a lot is expected of their team, the accomplishments don’t quite measure up. When little is expected, then the Wolverines seem to break loose.
Impressive coaching company
Only three names are ahead of Carr’s as the winningest coach in the Big Ten: Schembechler, Fielding Yost and Woody Hayes. But he hasn’t been able to beat Ohio State in recent years, another reason why Michigan fans want Carr’s scalp.
But the loss to Appalachian State was so stunning that Wolverine fans have a short memory. They don’t want to wait until the season ends. They want Carr’s head and they want it now.
They should wait, at least until the season ends. And barring a losing season, they should allow Carr to keep his Michigan job, unless he wants to retire. Joe Paterno had some lean years not too long ago for Penn State. Carr has only had one season in which he has lost as many as five games.
Yes, Carr deserves plenty of blame for Michigan allowing one of college football’s greatest upsets. But he also deserves plenty of credit for what he has done in other areas.
One more time Michigan fans: get off of Lloyd Carr’s back.
