A Gruff Coach Turns Media-Friendly

A handful of reporters had gathered around Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr before practice Monday when someone nearby started a portable motor.

The noise abruptly drowned out all questions.

Carr smiled.

“Hey, that’s a great idea,” he said. “I’ll remember that.”

With the Wolverines in Southern California to prepare for a Rose Bowl matchup against USC on Jan. 1, it is no secret the coach prefers his media in measured doses.

Back in Ann Arbor, practices are usually closed to reporters. As a former high school teacher, Carr wants no distractions in his classroom.

He can also be testy with interviewers, as he was at halftime of the Michigan-Ohio State game when an ABC reporter asked why his team had run out the clock with three timeouts remaining.

“Why would you ask such a dumb question?” he replied.

But it seems postseason games are a different story. Especially a postseason game that has drawn as much interest as this Rose Bowl.

Carr was relaxed and smiling as he answered questions Monday at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, where his team is practicing for several days before relocating to Los Angeles on Wednesday. Every word out of his mouth was upbeat.

His players? They have been performing well in two-a-day practices.

Injuries? Receiver Jason Avant continues to improve from a sprained ankle.

What about facing USC receiver Mike Williams? “I’m looking forward to seeing him,” Carr said. “He’s so strong.”

And with loudspeakers simulating a thunderous crowd in the Rose Bowl, he even had something nice to say about “Conquest” playing over and over.

“I love great fight songs,” he said. “Don’t you?”

Increased exposure to the media is part of the bowl game experience, Carr says. On Monday, that meant players’ giving interviews during their lunch break and reporters invited to watch the first 20 minutes of practice.

This paradigm shift was not lost on his team. As photographers snapped pictures during warm-ups, players chided their coach.

“The old Coach Carr wouldn’t allow them here,” a player yelled. “He’s getting soft.”