Bill Carr

William Curtis Carr III (November 29, 1945 – February 3, 2024) was an American college football player, coach, and athletics administrator. Carr was born in Gainesville, Florida, raised in Pensacola, Florida, and attended the University of Florida, where he was an All-American center for the Florida Gators football team in the mid-1960s. He was selected in the 4th round of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft but first had to serve two years in the United States Army, after which he did not make a regular season NFL roster. Carr returned to UF as graduate assistant and assistant coach under head coach Doug Dickey in 1972 and, after earning his master's degree, joined the school's athletic administration in 1975. He became Florida's athletic director in 1979 at the age of 33, making him the youngest athletic director at a major university at the time. As head of UF's Athletic Association, Carr oversaw the construction of the Stephen C. O'Connell Center and a major addition to Florida Field while also presiding over major NCAA rules violations in the football program.

Carr resigned in 1986 and went into private business for several years before serving as the athletic director at the University of Houston from 1993 until 1997, when he retired and established a college sports consulting firm. Carr died on February 3, 2024, at the age of 78.

Early life Carr was born in Gainesville, Florida, the son of a Baptist minister. He grew up in Vero Beach and Pensacola, Florida. Carr concluded his college playing career in the 1967 Orange Bowl, which the Gators earned a 27–12 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Professional football and military service The New Orleans Saints selected Carr in the fourth round (106th pick overall) of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft. Carr signed with the Saints in , but had to fulfill his military service obligation before he could play. Carr resigned in 1986 and was succeeded by Bill Arnsparger.

After leaving Florida, Carr served as the executive director of a youth advocacy group and a vice-president at Raycom Sports before returning to sports administration as the athletic director at the University of Houston from 1993 to 1997. After leaving Houston, Carr founded and led an intercollegiate athletics consulting group for several years before semi-retiring to serve as an executive coach in 2020.