“This can't go on anymore. It seems we're really good one year and then really terrible the next. We're up. Then we're down. That's not Michigan football. Michigan fans have come to expect a certain level of consistent mediocrity. And I feel we have let them down.
“It's hard letting Bill go though. He got us to where we were. Things just went a little too far, and now it’s time to go in another direction.”
Buckner was originally hired by Carr in 2001 to counterbalance the success that Michigan football experienced in the 90's. A string of Big Ten Championships and a National Championship left Carr and the team feeling uneasy with their success.
Through the years Buckner had a solid record at Michigan, consistently keeping the Wolverines from getting too good despite their expansive talent. But things started slipping during the previous season. Carr feared they may have hit rock bottom during last year's Notre Dame game.
“I’ll never forget that game,” Carr said. “Notre Dame was highly ranked, but we dominated them in every facet of the game. That just felt awful. I told our players after the game: you ought to be embarrassed for yourselves and your school. This is The University of Michigan. That's not the way we do things.”
Carr remembered he and Buckner's practice schedule the week before the game and found himself at a loss for why they won so convincingly.
“I had exhausted all my techniques for losing,” said Carr. “Full contact scrimmages in the parking lot without pads or helmets, practicing with Nerf balls, and even my old standbys of making excuses and just generally being a dick. But we still won the damn game.”
After the game he thought about firing Buckner. But like a true loser, Buckner sank to the occasion.
Working mainly with the Michigan defense, he instilled a lack of discipline and brought out the inherit loser's mentality and lack of desire he always believed every Michigan player had residing in his heart. He brought them to the brink of failure just in time for The Game against number one Ohio State.
Indeed, The Game was a spectacular failure and they were able to carry their lack of momentum all the way through to the Rose Bowl where they were blown out by USC despite being favored to win.
But it was here that many believe Carr allowed Buckner too much influence, and that he took the team from the coveted plateau of mediocrity to the undesirable realms of suckdom.
Throughout the off-season Buckner continued to drill them, as Carr thought his team's talent would be enough to balance out Buckner's losing techniques and advice.
“I really thought,” said Carr “that we'd breeze through the first few games, lose a game, then of course lose to Ohio State and in the bowl game like we do every year.”
But things took a spectacular turn when the fifth ranked Wolverines lost to Division 1-AA Appalachian St and then were blown out 39-7 by Oregon.
“I underestimated my team's desire to be the very worst,” said Carr. “They've really accomplished something very pathetic. In a strange way, I'm really proud of those kids.”
Senior quarterback Chad Henne was also looking on the bright side, “A lot of people will look at the Appalachian State and Oregon games and remember us for being a horrible, horrible team. But what I’ll remember is losing the Ohio State game.
“It was perfect. We proved we were good, but not quite good enough. And honestly, how many players get a chance to play in the biggest game in college football history and totally blow it?”
With that type of attitude, the Wolverines will assuredly return to their desired level of mediocrity soon.
But as for now, Lloyd Carr is searching for a new life coach to help turn things around. Washington Generals coach Dick Rubin, Kevin Federline, and former Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld are at the top of the list of candidates to replace Buckner.
Lloyd Carr Fires Life Coach Bill Buckner
Facing the music after fingering his scapegoat Carr: “Michigan fans have come to expect a certain level of mediocrity. I feel I have let them down.”
By MATTHEW MONROE
ANN ARBOR—Lloyd Carr stunned University of Michigan football fans Sunday by firing his life coach and close confidant Bill Buckner. He ended their six year relationship as the Michigan head coach and the former Red Sox first basemen had been working closely together since Jim Tressel’s arrival at Ohio State in 2001.
Citing embarrassing lows, like this year's 0-2 start, and also citing embarrassing highs, such as recent brushes with Big Ten and National Championships, Carr said he had enough.
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January 24, 2008
