Former Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr wins major award

78-year-old former Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr is royalty in Ann Arbor, largely due to his impressive coaching record with the Wolverines, which includes the program’s most recent national championship (1997). Yesterday, many years after his retirement, the ex-Wolverine head coach won a new award — the Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award.

Former Michigan football coach wins major award

The Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards, named after ex-Alabama coach Bear Bryant, recognize excellence in coaching and raise funds for the American Heart Association. On Thursday of this week, Michigan football legend and national championship-winning head coach Lloyd Carr was on the receiving end of a Bear Bryant Award, winning the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Memorial Hermann.

Carr’s new award recognizes the finest football coaches for outstanding achievements throughout their careers — the ex-Wolverine head coach is listed as the winner for 2024.

Lloyd Carr has an incredible resume from his 13 years as head coach in Ann Arbor

During his time with the Michigan football program, Lloyd Carr saw his ups and downs, though never had a single losing season during his 13-year tenure in Ann Arbor. Carr retired with a 122-40 overall record (.753 win %), five Big Ten titles (1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004), and a national title (1997).

Lloyd Carr also coached players like Charles Woodson (1997 Heisman Trophy winner, Pro Football Hall of Famer, College Football Hall of Famer), Tom Brady (Greatest football player of all time), and more as Michigan’s head coach.

In Carr’s final game as the head coach of Michigan football — during the 2008 Capitol One Bowl — he downed Urban Meyer, Tom Tebow, and the Florida Gators before being carried off of the field by his players. It took Michigan three head coaches to match the level of success that Carr brought, with Jim Harbaugh (2015-present) finally taking the program back to prominence nearly a decade after Carr’s retirement.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!