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Blue's next?

Gerry Ahern

CARR'S HIGHS AND LOWS

Yahoo! Sports college football editor Gerry Ahern rates Lloyd Carr's career moments.

HIGH 5

Jan. 1, 1998: Carr and the Wolverines completed a 12-0 season by downing Washington State 21-16 in the Rose Bowl, earning their first national championship since 1948. They shared the title with Nebraska.

1995-present: Carr owns an 81-23 record in Big Ten play (.779 winning percentage), third-best ever. He trails only fellow Wolverine coaches Bo Schembechler and Fielding Yost.

1999 season: Carr led his team to a 10-2 finish, 6-2 in the conference and capped things with a thrilling 35-34 overtime win over Alabama in the Orange Bowl. Michigan finished fifth in the AP poll.

Oct. 30, 2004: The Wolverines came back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to overcome Michigan State 45-37 in triple overtime. Carr said it was one of the greatest games he's ever been involved with.

Nov. 22, 2003: In the 100th edition of The Game, Carr earned his lone win over a Jim Tressel-led Buckeyes team 35-21 in Ann Arbor. With the win, Michigan earned its first outright Big Ten crown and Rose Bowl berth since the 1997 national championship season.

LOW 5

Sept. 1, 2007: Carr and the fifth-ranked Wolverines were stunned by Appalachian State at the Big House 34-32. It was the first time a second-division school beat a ranked opponent.

Nov. 17, 2007: The battered and bruised Wolverines were no match in falling to rival Ohio State 14-3. The loss was Michigan's fourth in a row to the Buckeyes and sixth in seven chances for Carr against Tressel. Carr fell to 6-7 career against his fiercest foe.

2005 season: Michigan struggled to a 7-5 mark, 5-3 in the Big Ten. It was Carr's worst season in his 13-year career. The Wolverines lost in the Alamo Bowl to Nebraska 32-28. It was the only year Michigan finished the year out of the top 25 under Carr.

Nov. 4, 2000: Michigan had shut out its previous two opponents before facing Northwestern and yielding a whopping 654 yards in a 54-51 loss to the Wildcats. It was the most yardage ever allowed by a Michigan defense.

Nov. 18, 2006: One day after the death of his mentor Schembechler, Carr and the No. 2 Wolverines fell to No. 1 Ohio State 42-39 in what is considered by many the greatest game in the history of the series and the only time they met as 1 vs. 2. Michigan lost a shot at the national championship, then was drubbed by USC 32-18 in the Rose Bowl.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – As Lloyd Carr stood in front of friends, family and media Monday, reflecting upon his 39 years as a mainstay at the University of Michigan, he said he wanted to make one thing clear.

His decision to resign as head football coach two days after a bitter defeat to arch-rival Ohio State was not personal. This was about the program.

"My timing is based on one thing," said Carr, 121-40 over 13 seasons. "What's best for Michigan. What's best for Michigan football. There are no other motives. And this announcement was 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 have been absolutely ridiculous. I did it for this program as I've tried to make all the decisions since I got here.

"Any of those rumors about anything else … This is much too big to be about me or about somebody that's going to coach here."

The rumors, of course, involve LSU coach Les Miles, believed to be the top candidate to succeed Carr. Miles, Michigan Class of '76, played for and coached with Bo Schembechler. He's currently the leader of the No. 1 team in the land. He is already being bombarded with questions about his interest in his alma mater as he tries to keep the Tigers focused for a run at the BCS championship.

But for some, the focus remains on the rift between Carr and Miles.

Miles made enemies out of friends in and around Ann Arbor late last season when he voted Florida ahead of Michigan in the final regular-season poll. That allowed the Gators, not the Wolverines, to advance to the BCS title game, where they pounded Ohio State for the national championship. Also, there has been talk of recruiting friction between Go Blue and the Bayou.

Carr, who will remain at the university as an associate athletics director, could theoretically put the kibosh on the hiring of Miles.

Theoretically.

"My role in the upcoming weeks in the selection of the coach will be defined strictly by (athletic director) Bill Martin," Carr said. "Whatever role if any that 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. … 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 it will always be about."

A not-so veiled shot at Miles?

Martin, who said he has about 20 candidates "in his head," will form a screening committee over the next few days consisting of seasoned former players and people steeped in what it takes to be successful in college football.

The 62-year-old Carr, who will coach the Wolverines in their upcoming bowl game, certainly fits that bill.

"Of course I will ask Lloyd what his thoughts are," Martin said. "He knows the coaching profession. He knows everyone that is active who would be considered a candidate."

Martin, who said ties to Michigan were not a prerequisite, didn't want to talk about Miles or any candidate specifically. But he knows the dance has started.

"Les is a great coach," the AD said. "He has a wonderful season going for him and I certainly wish him all the best."

There's no NCAA rule that prohibits a school from contacting a coach whose season is in progress. There's a gentleman’s agreement between ADs about asking for permission, which Martin said he would abide by.

Expect Carr to take the high road too. He cares too much about Michigan to see the football program left in the hands of anyone who doesn't respect how it got where it is today – the nation's winningest school and one run more credibly than most.

Carr also wants to make sure his assistants are taken care of, and that his 2008 recruits are solidified. The Wolverines have the No. 12 recruiting class nationally according to Rivals.com. They have commitments from 12 four-star players.

"It's a great class," Carr said. "A head coach only gets one visit. So this timing will enable that coach when he's named to visit those kids and secure those commitments. Plus we have seven or eight left. It's about holding on to a recruiting class. If this recruiting class falls apart, four years from now there's a hole in Michigan football."

The hole at the top created by Carr's resignation must be filled soon. If it's not Miles, other candidates include Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac and Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly.

Ferentz worked for Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman when she was at Iowa. Trgovac played for the Wolverines. Kelly is this season's hot commodity after losing out on the Michigan State job to Mark Dantonio last year.

The final factor could be money. Michigan hasn't historically paid the kind of salaries that are doled out in the SEC where Miles coaches. Nick Saban makes $4 million annually at Alabama. Carr made about $1.5 million a year. If Miles were to leave LSU, he'd owe a $1.25 million contract buyout.

Martin said a "change in culture" could be in the offing regarding what the school is willing to spend.

Carr seems more concerned about the potential price Miles could make Michigan pay.