Carr tells players, coaches hes done

Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr has told his players and coaches he'll announce his retirement at tomorrow's 10:00 a.m. press conference, ending his 13-year run as U-M's man in charge, TheWolverine.com has learned. His team's appearance in the bowl game will be his last as man in charge.

There's been plenty of speculation over the years as to when Carr would leave. One source indicated he would have left following the 2004 season had the Wolverines beaten Texas in the Rose Bowl. They lost on a last-second field goal. Others say he was ready to go last year before changing his mind at the last moment and opting to return for one last year.

Carr's high point came in 1997, when the Wolverines won a share of the national title in sweeping the regular season slate before beating Washington State in the Rose Bowl. His teams won five Big Ten championships and never suffered a losing season, his worst coming in 2005 when an injury-plagued team went 7-5. He'll retire as the third-winningest coach (121-40) in school history behind only Bo Schembechler and Fielding Yost.

"None of us will appreciate what a good job Lloyd has done unitl he's been gone," said former U-M quarterback John Wangler. "In a couple years, people will say, 'wow, he did everything you would want.'

"You would want your son to play for Lloyd. As a parent, you could go to sleep at night knowing that this guy has things in order, that he's going to treat your son fairly and do all the things you 'd want him to do as a head coach."

Watch TheWolverine.com for much more on Carr's retirement and U-M's search for a new head coach immediately following tomorrow's annoucement.