_Corso.jpg) Corso in 2024 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1935-08-07)August 7, 1935 (age 90) Cicero, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1953–1957 | Florida State |
| Positions | Quarterback,cornerback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1958 | Florida State (GA) |
| 1959–1965 | Maryland (QB) |
| 1966–1968 | Navy (DB) |
| 1969–1972 | Louisville |
| 1973–1982 | Indiana |
| 1984 | Northern Illinois |
| 1985 | Orlando Renegades |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 73–85–6 (college) 5–13 (USFL) |
| Bowls | 1–0–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2MVC (1970, 1972) | |
Lee Richard Corso[1] (born August 7, 1935) is an American formercollege football coach and analyst. He is best known for appearing onESPN'sCollege GameDay program from its inception in 1987 until his retirement in August 2025.
Corso served as the head football coach at theUniversity of Louisville from 1969 to 1972, atIndiana University from 1973 to 1982, and atNorthern Illinois University in 1984, compiling a careercollege football coaching record of 73–85–6. He was the head coach for theOrlando Renegades of theUnited States Football League in 1985, tallying a mark of 5–13.
Corso was born inCicero, Illinois, on August 7, 1935.[2][3][4] Corso's parents, Alessandro and Irma, were Italian immigrants. His father fledItaly duringWorld War I at age 15.[5] Alessandro, who had a second-grade education, was a lifelong laborer who laidterrazzo flooring, and Irma, who had a fifth-grade education, worked in school cafeterias and boarding schools.[5]
At age 10, he moved with his family toMiami and later attendedMiami Jackson High School, where he playedquarterback. A baseball prospect, he was offered a $5,000 bonus to sign with theBrooklyn Dodgers as ashortstop.[5] He chose college, though, playing football and baseball atFlorida State University (FSU), where he was a roommate of football player and actorBurt Reynolds and futureUniversity of Miami baseball coachRon Fraser. While at FSU, Corso earned the nickname "Sunshine Scooter" for his speed on the football field.[6] As a defensive player, he set the school record for most career interceptions (14), which stood for more than two decades until it was broken byMonk Bonasorte.[7] Corso was also a member of theAlpha Tau Omegafraternity. He was the starting quarterback for the South in the 1956Blue–Gray Game, though his squad lost to theLen Dawson–led North team, 14–0.
Corso graduated with a bachelor's degree inphysical education in 1957 and a master's degree in administration and supervision in 1958.
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After college, Corso became the quarterbacks coach atMaryland under his former FSU coach,Tommy Nugent. In 1962, Corso followed Nugent's guidance to recruit an academically and athletically qualified black player and convincedDarryl Hill to transfer from theNaval Academy, making him the first African-American football player in theAtlantic Coast Conference.[8]
In 1966, Corso became the defensive backs coach at Navy. In 1969, he was named head coach atLouisville, where he coached his ESPN colleagueTom Jackson. After taking Louisville to only its second-ever bowl game in 1970, he was hired byIndiana in 1972.
Corso coached at Indiana from 1973 to 1982, leading the Hoosiers to two winning seasons in 1979 and 1980. The 1979 regular season ended with 7–4 record and the team earned a trip to the1979 Holiday Bowl. There, the Hoosiers beat the previously unbeatenBYU Cougars. Indiana's victory over the Cougars propelled the team to 16th in theUPI poll, the Hoosiers' first top-20 ranking since 1967. During one game in the 1976 season, Corso called a time out after his team scored a touchdown early in the second quarter. The entire team huddled together for a photograph with the scoreboard filling the background. It read: Indiana 7, Ohio State 6. It was the first time in 25 years that the Hoosiers had led the Buckeyes in a football game. Ohio State went on to win the game 47–7.[9] Corso was fired after ten years with an overall record of 41–68–2 at Indiana.[10]
Corso was the 16th head football coach atNorthern Illinois University. In his lone season as Northern Illinois's head coach, Corso's record was 4–6–1.
After the stint at Northern Illinois, Corso made his professional football coaching debut for theOrlando Renegades of theUnited States Football League (USFL) in1985. Corso was slated to return to the Renegades in fall1986, but the league suspended operations before the season began.
In 1987, Corso was hired by ESPN as an analyst for its SaturdayCollege GameDay program that since 1993 had originated from the site of one of the day's big games. He often played the role ofcomic foil to co-hostsChris Fowler andKirk Herbstreit. Corso'scatchphrase, "Not so fast, my friend!", with pencil always in hand, would commonly be exclaimed in playful disagreement to his colleagues' predictions.[citation needed]
Corso was also known for ending every weekly show with his headgear selection. For the final prediction of the show, usually covering the game taking place at the site of the show, Corso would put on the head of the mascot of the team he picked to win. His first headgear selection took place during the October 5, 1996, show inColumbus, Ohio, before anOhio State–Penn State game, where Corso put on the head of Ohio State'sBrutus Buckeye mascot to show his pick to win the game. Corso made his 250th headgear pick on November 1, 2014, putting on the head ofTCU'sSuper Frog before their game againstWest Virginia inMorgantown, West Virginia. In his 400th headgear pick, taking place on September 16, 2023, Corso put on the head ofColorado's Chip the Buffalo before their game againstColorado State in Boulder, Colorado.[11]
On April 17, 2025, Corso announced his retirement from broadcasting, with his final appearance onCollege GameDay taking place on August 30, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio, to cover the Week 1 game between Texas and Ohio State. Corso made his 431st and final headgear selection before the game, picking Ohio State, the team he picked for his first headgear selection in 1996, to defeat Texas. Ohio State defeated Texas, 14–7, and Corso ended hisCollege GameDay tenure with a record of 287–144 (.666) all-time in headgear picks.[12][13] Coincidentally, on the day of his retirement, all six of the teams Corso had coached won their respective games (Florida State, Maryland, Navy, Louisville, Indiana, and Northern Illinois). In addition, all six of Corso's picks from the picks segment ofCollege GameDay were correct (Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida State, Miami, LSU, and Ohio State).[14]
Corso made a brief cameo in a 2006Nike commercial featuring the fictional Briscoe High School football team, portrayed by football icons such asMichael Vick,LaDainian Tomlinson,Brian Urlacher,Troy Polamalu, and fellow FSU alumDeion Sanders, and by coachesDon Shula,Jimmy Johnson, andUrban Meyer. Corso takes his hawk mascot head off while the game's deciding play unfolds inslow-motion.
Corso appeared annually inEA Sports'NCAA Football titles along with Herbstreit and play-by-play manBrad Nessler untilNCAA Football 11. The 2006 to 2011sixth-generation console editions of the games feature a preshow that includes Corso making his mascot headgear prediction. If the team Corso chooses does not have a mascot, he wears the helmet from the team picked, instead, like onCollege GameDay. During play selection, players can opt for "Ask Corso", replicating the "Ask Madden" feature in theMadden NFL series.[15]
In the off-season, Corso serves as director of business development forDixon Ticonderoga, a Florida-based manufacturer of writing and arts products, including No. 2 pencils (one of which he can always be seen holding onCollege GameDay).[16] In 2001, Corso spearheaded an effort to create acrayon completely out ofsoybeans.[16]
In 1991, Corso served as general manager of the World League of American Football's Orlando Thunder.[17]
Corso serves as honorary chairman of Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer, a charity that raises money for pediatric cancer research through youth sports teams. Corso was honored with the National College Football Awards Association's Contributions to College Football Award "recognizing exceptional contributions to college football and a lifetime of achievement and integrity" during theHome Depot College Football Awards show atWalt Disney World on December 9, 2010.[18] Growing up in Miami, Corso attended his localBoys' Club and is listed in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame.[18]
On May 16, 2009, Corso suffered a stroke at his Florida home, suffering partial paralysis. He spent three days in intensive care and a week in the hospital, followed by a lengthy rehabilitation. He was able to return to his ESPNCollege GameDay duties for the 2009 season.[2][19] The stroke left him unable to speak for a month (his speech eventually recovered with few noticeable side effects) and severely slowed his cognitive function; after the stroke, Corso had to script and rehearse his appearances onCollege GameDay and was no longer able to effectivelyad lib.[20]
While at Florida State, Corso was roommates and teammates with actorBurt Reynolds. The two remained close friends until Reynolds's death in 2018.[21]
Corso has been married to his wife, Betsy, since 1957. They have four children and 10 grandchildren.[22]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Cardinals(Missouri Valley Conference)(1969–1972) | |||||||||
| 1969 | Louisville | 5–4–1 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1970 | Louisville | 8–3–1 | 4–0 | 1st | TPasadena | ||||
| 1971 | Louisville | 6–3–1 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1972 | Louisville | 9–1 | 4–1 | T–1st | 16 | 18 | |||
| Louisville: | 28–11–3 | 13–6 | |||||||
| Indiana Hoosiers(Big Ten Conference)(1973–1982) | |||||||||
| 1973 | Indiana | 2–9 | 0–8 | T–9th | |||||
| 1974 | Indiana | 1–10 | 1–7 | 10th | |||||
| 1975 | Indiana | 2–8–1 | 1–6–1 | 10th | |||||
| 1976 | Indiana | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1977 | Indiana | 5–5–1 | 4–3–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1978 | Indiana | 4–7 | 3–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1979 | Indiana | 8–4 | 5–3 | 4th | WHoliday | 16 | 19 | ||
| 1980 | Indiana | 6–5 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1981 | Indiana | 3–8 | 3–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1982 | Indiana | 5–6 | 4–5 | 6th | |||||
| Indiana: | 41–68–2 | 27–53–2 | |||||||
| Northern Illinois Huskies(Mid-American Conference)(1984) | |||||||||
| 1984 | Northern Illinois | 4–6–1 | 3–5–1 | 5th | |||||
| Northern Illinois: | 4–6–1 | 3–5–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 73–85–6 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | |||
| ORL | 1985 | 5 | 13 | 0 | .288 | 7th in Eastern Con. | 0 | 0 | .000 | |
| Total | 5 | 13 | 0 | .228 | ||||||
Lee Corso was born...in Cicero, Ill.
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