ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -Lloyd Carr squinted into the morning sun during a staff picture.
It's good he's used to the glare.
Carr is entering his 12th season as coach at Michigan - the winningest college football program - and he's been on the staff since Bo Schembechler hired him in 1980.
He's experienced exhilarating rushes from the 1997 national championship, five Big Ten titles, four straight bowl victories and a .750-winning percentage that trails just four active Division I-A coaches.
Carr also has lived with the stress that comes with a 1-4 record against Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, losing four of his last five bowl games and at least three games the past six years at a school where that makes fans restless.
After the Wolverines went 7-5 last season - their worst since 1984 - the buzz around campus and across the country about Carr's future picked up momentum.
Will this season or next year be his last?
The 61-year-old Carr hears the talk on the recruiting trail and from reporters he's known for years, and he understands it.
``When you get to be my age, it becomes a topic that is going to be out there,'' Carr told The Associated Press from his office, which is packed with Michigan memorabilia from floor to ceiling. ``I would rather not talk about me, but I will say I have great excitement and passion because I think we have a chance to have an outstanding year.
``Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden have gone through this for years. I can remember Bo dealing with it and talking about his experiences with Bear Bryant.''
Schembechler recently recalled a chat with Bryant toward the end of the famed Alabama coach's career - and life - that shaped his coaching exit at Michigan.
Before an East-West Shrine Game, Bryant confided in Schembechler that he wanted to retire. Schembechler said he grabbed a phone, put it in front of Bryant and told him to call his school president. Bryant angrily replied that he couldn't because dozens of people he hired could lose their job if he left, Schembechler said.
``Bear went back, had an average year (in 1982) and died about a month later,'' Schembechler said. ``His loyalty really hit me. That's why I made myself AD because I knew that would be the only way I could name my successor. I told Gary Moeller that he could have my job provided he didn't mess with anybody's job because if he did, I was going to get him.''
In the football facility that bears his name, Schembechler has an office down the hall from Carr's that overlooks the practice fields. The mentor is not shy about giving his opinion about his protege.
``He's too young to retire and he's got too many families depending on him,'' Schembechler said. ``I tell him he can plan for it, but he can't do it because he's not ready - and we need him.''
Carr is certainly not going to be fired, no matter what some Web sites advocate or talk-show callers clamor, athletic director Bill Martin said.
Carr can coach at Michigan as long as he likes, according to Martin, who insisted he hasn't even thought about the process the school will follow to hire his successor.
``I'm focused on doing what I can to support Lloyd, and that includes building a new practice facility and renovating Michigan Stadium,'' Martin said. ``Whenever he would like to move on, I would love to see him stay here in a senior-level capacity.''
Two years ago, Carr had a news conference to announce he was healthy and intended to continue coaching despite rumors he said were generated by rival coaches and the Internet during the winter recruiting season.
The talk hasn't gone away. Carr insists his health is good and addresses the issue with recruits and their parents.
``I tell them that there's as good a chance that I will be here in four years as there is of any other coach saying he'll be at the same school in four years,'' he said. ``There is constant movement in this profession. Guys leave for other jobs, at other schools and in the NFL. Some get fired. Some retire.''
Even though he hasn't played for Michigan since 2000, Detroit Lions offensive tackle Jeff Backus says he hopes Carr doesn't leave any time soon. Carr was demanding and nurturing when Backus was in college but has become more of a friend and confidant since he graduated.
``He's an incredible coach and an incredible man,'' Backus said. ``You want him leading your team, and leading men because he teaches life skills. Yeah, it is college football, but it's also a college - a place guys have to learn. There's more to it than just winning ball games.''
Carr has done much of that.
He is 102-34 overall and 68-20 in the Big Ten. Against ranked teams, he's 38-21, including a 15-6 mark against top 10 opponents.
His naysayers point to his 7-7 record dating to the loss two years ago against Ohio State, as well as a 9-9 mark against rivals Ohio State and Notre Dame.
``As a player, you want to prove his critics wrong because he's a really good coach and a good man,'' senior linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. ``He can't play the game for us. He can only get us prepared and he does that for games - and for life.''
Carr challenges himself to focus on the day-to-day grind of his job while keeping the big picture in mind. When pushed to talk about his future, he bristles before acknowledging there is not a perfect way for him to end his coaching career.
``I can't say that I know the answer, and I don't have control over that,'' Carr said. ``But when I do step down, I want this program to be better than it was when I took over. What I want to do is give my best effort every day so that the day it happens, I can feel great about the future of this program.''
