Lee Corso

Last updated

Lee Corso
MBN S24G02 TEXAS-14 (cropped) Corso.jpg
Corso in 2024
Biographical details
Born (1935-08-07) August 7, 1935 (age 89)
Cicero, Illinois, U.S.
Playing career
1953–1957 Florida State
Position(s) 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
Overall73–85–6 (college)
5–13 (USFL)
Bowls1–0–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 MVC (1970, 1972)

Lee Richard Corso [1] (born August 7, 1935) is an American sports broadcaster and college football analyst for ESPN and a former coach. He has been an analyst on ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception in 1987. Corso served as the head football coach at the University of Louisville from 1969 to 1972, at Indiana University Bloomington from 1973 to 1982, and at Northern Illinois University in 1984, compiling a career college football coaching record of 73–85–6. He was the head coach for the Orlando Renegades of the United States Football League in 1985, tallying a mark of 5–13.

Contents

Early life and playing career

Corso's parents, Alessandro and Irma, were Italian immigrants. His father fled Italy during World War I at age 15. [2] Alessandro, who had a second-grade education, was a lifelong laborer who laid terrazzo flooring, and Irma, who had a fifth-grade education, worked in school cafeterias and boarding schools. [2]

Corso was born in Cicero, Illinois, on August 7, 1935. [3] [4] [5] At age 10, he moved with his family to Miami and later attended Miami Jackson Senior High School, where he played quarterback. A baseball prospect, he was offered a $5,000 bonus to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers as a shortstop. [2] However, he chose college, playing football and baseball at Florida State University (FSU), where he was a roommate of football player and actor Burt Reynolds and future University of Miami baseball coach Ron 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), a record that stood for more than two decades until it was broken by Monk Bonasorte. [7] Corso was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He was the starting quarterback for the South in the 1956 Blue-Gray Game, though his squad lost to the Len Dawson-led North team, 14–0.

Corso graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1957 and a master's degree in administration and supervision in 1958.

Coaching career

Corso, c. 1961 Lee Corso (c 1961).png
Corso, c. 1961

After college, Corso became the quarterbacks coach at Maryland under his former FSU coach Tommy Nugent. In 1962, Corso followed Nugent's guidance to recruit an academically and athletically qualified black player and convinced Darryl Hill to transfer from the Naval Academy, making him the first African-American football player in the Atlantic Coast Conference. [8]

In 1966, Corso became the defensive backs coach at Navy. In 1969, he was named head coach at Louisville where he coached his ESPN colleague Tom Jackson. After taking Louisville to only its second-ever bowl game in 1970, he was hired by Indiana 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 earned a trip to the 1979 Holiday Bowl. There the Hoosiers would beat the previously unbeaten BYU Cougars. Indiana's victory over the Cougars propelled the team to 16th in the UPI 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 would 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 at Northern 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 the Orlando Renegades of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1985. Corso was slated to return to the Renegades in fall 1986, but the league suspended operations before the season began.

Broadcasting career

In 1987, Corso was hired by ESPN as an analyst for its Saturday College GameDay program that, since 1993, had originated from the site of one of the day's big games. He often plays the role of comic foil to co-hosts Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, and Kirk Herbstreit. Corso's catchphrase, "Not so fast, my friend!", with pencil always in hand, is usually directed at Herbstreit, in disagreement with Herbstreit's predictions. Corso also calls nearly everyone "sweetheart."

Corso is also known for ending every weekly show with his mascot headgear prediction, when he chooses who he thinks will win the game at GameDay's site by donning the headpiece of the school's mascot. It started on October 5, 1996, prior to the Ohio State-Penn State game at Columbus, Ohio, when he got the idea to don the OSU "Brutus Buckeye" mascot head to show his pick to win the game. Corso made his 250th headgear pick, TCU's Super Frog, before the TCU-WVU game in Morgantown, West Virginia, on November 1, 2014. His 400th headgear pick, Colorado's Chip the Buffalo, came on September 16, 2023, before the Buffaloes' game versus the Colorado State Rams in Boulder, Colorado.

Corso made a brief cameo in a 2006 Nike commercial featuring the fictional Briscoe High School football team, portrayed by football icons such as Michael Vick, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Urlacher, Troy Polamalu, and fellow FSU great Deion Sanders, and by coaches Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, and Urban Meyer. Corso takes his hawk mascot head off while the game's deciding play unfolds in slow-motion.

Corso appeared annually in EA Sports' NCAA Football titles along with Herbstreit and play-by-play man Brad Nessler until NCAA Football 11 , in which he does not do play-by-play. The 2006 edition of the game begins with Corso making his mascot headgear prediction. If the team Corso chooses does not have a mascot, he wears the helmet instead like on College GameDay. During play selection, players can opt for "Ask Corso", replicating the "Ask Madden" feature in the Madden NFL series. [11]

Other work, charities, and personal life

Corso in 2014 Lee Corso September 2014.jpg
Corso in 2014

In the off-season, Corso serves as Director of Business Development for Dixon Ticonderoga, a Florida-based manufacturer of writing and arts products, including No. 2 pencils (one of which he can always be seen holding on College GameDay). [12] In 2001, Corso spearheaded an effort to create a crayon completely out of soybeans. [12]

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 the Home Depot College Football Awards show at Walt Disney World on December 9, 2010. [13] Growing up in Miami, Corso attended his local Boys' Club and is listed in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame. [13]

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 ESPN College GameDay duties for the 2009 season. [3] [14] 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; since the stroke, Corso has had to script and rehearse his appearances on College GameDay and is no longer able to effectively ad lib . [15]

While at Florida State, Corso was roommates and teammates with actor Burt Reynolds. The two remained close friends until Reynolds's death in 2018. [16]

Corso has been married to his wife, Betsy, since 1957. They have four children and 10 grandchildren. [17]

Head coaching record

College

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs Coaches#AP°
Louisville Cardinals (Missouri Valley Conference)(1969–1972)
1969 Louisville 5–4–12–3T–3rd
1970 Louisville 8–3–14–01stT Pasadena
1971 Louisville 6–3–13–2T–2nd
1972 Louisville 9–14–1T–1st1618
Louisville:28–11–313–6
Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten Conference)(1973–1982)
1973 Indiana 2–90–8T–9th
1974 Indiana 1–101–710th
1975 Indiana 2–8–11–6–110th
1976 Indiana 5–64–4T–3rd
1977 Indiana 5–5–14–3–14th
1978 Indiana 4–73–57th
1979 Indiana 8–45–34thW Holiday 1619
1980 Indiana 6–53–5T–6th
1981 Indiana 3–83–69th
1982 Indiana 5–64–56th
Indiana:41–68–227–53–2
Northern Illinois Huskies (Mid-American Conference)(1984)
1984 Northern Illinois 4–6–13–5–15th
Northern Illinois:4–6–13–5–1
Total:73–85–6
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

USFL

TeamYearRegular SeasonPostseason
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %
ORL 1985 5130.2887th in Eastern Con.00.000
Total5130.228

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Stadium (Clemson)</span> Football stadium at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina

Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium, known as "Death Valley", is an outdoor stadium on the campus of Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. It is home to the Clemson Tigers football team of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk Herbstreit</span> American football player and analyst

Kirk Edward Herbstreit is an American sportscaster and former college football player. He serves as an analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football, and provides color commentary on college football games on ESPN and ABC and Thursday night NFL games on Prime Video. For his TV work, Herbstreit has won five Sports Emmy Awards in various categories. He appeared annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football video game until the series was put on hiatus following NCAA Football 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Seminoles</span> Athletic teams representing Florida State University

The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level, primarily competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for all sports since the 1991–92 season; within the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a divisional format since the 2005–06 season.

<i>College GameDay</i> (football TV program) American television program

College GameDay is a pre-game show broadcast by ESPN as part of the network's coverage of college football, broadcast on Saturday mornings during the college football season. In its current form, the program is typically broadcast from the campus of the team hosting a featured game being played that day and features news and analysis of the day's upcoming games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Ward</span> American football quarterback and basketball player

Charlie Ward Jr. is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ward was an exceptional college football player as well, winning the Heisman Trophy, Davey O'Brien Award, and College Football National Championship as a quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osceola and Renegade</span> Mascots of the Florida State University Seminoles

Osceola and Renegade are the official symbols of the Florida State University Seminoles. Osceola, representing the historical Seminole leader Osceola, and his Appaloosa horse Renegade introduce home football games by riding to midfield with a burning spear and planting it in the turf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Hoosiers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Indiana University Bloomington

The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the demonym for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 24 sports and became a member of the Big Ten Conference on December 1, 1899. The school's official colors are cream and crimson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Nugent</span> American football coach (1913–2006)

Thomas N. Nugent was an American college football coach and innovator, sportscaster, public relations man. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute, Florida State University, and the University of Maryland. His career record was 89–80–3. Nugent is credited with the development of the I formation.

Gerard Paul DiNardo is an American former college football player and coach. He played college football as a guard for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish where he was selected as an All-American in 1974. DiNardo served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University (1991–1994), Louisiana State University (1995–1999), and Indiana University (2002–2004), compiling a career college football record of 59–76–1. In 2001, he was the head coach of the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville Cardinals football</span> College football team representing University of Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in the sport of American football. The Cardinals compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Hoosiers football</span> Football team of Indiana University Bloomington

The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers have played their home games at Memorial Stadium since 1960. The team has won the Big Ten Championship twice, once in 1945 and again in 1967. The Hoosiers have appeared in 12 bowl games, including the 1968 Rose Bowl. Six Indiana players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including Zora Clevinger, Bill Ingram, Pete Pihos, George Taliaferro, John Tavener, and Anthony Thompson, who was also National Player of the Year in 1989. The Hoosiers are currently led by head coach Curt Cignetti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Seminoles football</span> Team representing Florida State University in American football

The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in the sport of American football. The Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The team is currently coached by Mike Norvell, and plays home games at Doak Campbell Stadium, the 15th largest stadium in college football, located on-campus in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles previously competed as part of the ACC Atlantic Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Lynch</span> American football player and coach (born 1954)

Bill Lynch is a former American football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at DePauw University, a position he held in 2004 and re-assumed in December 2012 until his retirement after the 2019 season. Lynch also served as the head football coach at Butler University (1985–1989), Ball State University (1995–2002), and Indiana University Bloomington (2007–2010). He was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Brohm</span> American football player and coach (born 1971)

Jeffrey Scott Brohm is an American college football coach and former professional quarterback. He is the head football coach at his alma mater, the University of Louisville, a position he has held since the 2023 season. Brohm played college football for the Louisville Cardinals under coach Howard Schnellenberger from 1989 to 1993. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons from 1994 to 2000 and the XFL in 2001. Brohm served as the head football coach at Western Kentucky University from 2014 to 2016 and Purdue University from 2017 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979 Indiana Hoosiers football team</span> American college football season

The 1979 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented the Indiana Hoosiers in the 1979 Big Ten Conference football season. The Hoosiers played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. The team was coached by Lee Corso, in his seventh year as head coach of the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers participated in the Holiday Bowl, in a post-season matchup against BYU. The Hoosiers won, 38–37.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Fowler</span> ESPN American sports broadcaster

Chris Fowler is an American sports broadcaster for ESPN, who serves as the play-by-play announcer for Saturday Night Football on ABC and ESPN's tennis coverage. He is also known for his work on College GameDay, which he hosted between 1990 and 2014, and for college football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Florida State Seminoles football team</span> American college football season

The 2014 Florida State Seminoles football team, variously Florida State or FSU, represented Florida State University in the sport of American football during the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. Florida State competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Seminoles were led by fifth-year head coach Jimbo Fisher and played their home games at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. They were members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, playing in the Atlantic Division. It was the Seminoles' 23rd season as a member of the ACC and its 10th in the ACC Atlantic Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Norvell</span> American football coach (born 1981)

Michael Kelly Norvell is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for Florida State University, a positon he has held since 2020. He was previously head coach at Memphis, and has coached for Arizona State, Pittsburgh, Tulsa, and Central Arkansas. He played wide receiver at the University of Central Arkansas from 2001 to 2005 and is the school's all-time receptions leader.

The 1980 Indiana Hoosiers football team was an American football team that represented Indiana University Bloomington in the 1980 Big Ten Conference football season. In their eighth season under head coach Lee Corso, the Hoosiers finished in a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten Conference, compiled a 6–5, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 255 to 235. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois–Indiana rivalry</span> American college multi-sports rivalry

The Illinois–Indiana rivalry is a college sports rivalry between the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and the Indiana University Hoosiers. The rivalry between these bordering-state schools dates back to 1899 when the Indiana Hoosiers joined the Big Ten Conference of which Illinois is a founding member. The rivalry is most prominent in men's basketball, where both teams are perennial "Final Four contenders" and combined have won several conference championships. In football, the rivalry is less intense, but notable for the two school's geographic proximity, the history and longevity of the series with 73 total meetings dating back to 1899 and their status as a previously "protected rivalry" in the Big Ten.

References

  1. ↑ "Ten Questions with Lee Corso (B.S. '57, M.S. '58)". Vires. 4 (1). Florida State University Alumni Association: 38–39. Spring–Summer 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Funny Business". orlandomagazine.com. September 19, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Life and times of Lee Corso". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. August 2, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Lee Corso". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  5. ↑ Christensen, John (August 31, 1969). "Corso Is Spelled E-n-t-h-u-s-i-a-s-m". The Courier-Journal & Times. Louisville. p. 3 (Football 1969 supplemental section). Retrieved November 10, 2020. Lee Corso was born...in Cicero, Ill.
  6. ↑ Alumni Hall of Fame: Lee Corso Archived June 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine , Boys & Girls Clubs of America, accessed May 17, 2013.
  7. ↑ "2002 Record Book" (PDF). Florida State University. 2002. p. 259. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  8. ↑ Tom D'Angelo, "Barriers made to be broken" Archived July 22, 2012, at archive.today University of Maryland Terrapins Official Athletic Site, October 25, 2006, accessed January 17, 2008.
  9. ↑ Don't Let 'em Wear You Down!, SI.com
  10. ↑ "Fired Indiana football coach Lee Corso has been asked... - UPI Archives".
  11. ↑ Tucker, Ricky. "NCAA Football 10". Game Vortex.
  12. 1 2 Hiestand, Michael (April 20, 2005). "Corso penciled in for variety". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 23, 2005. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  13. 1 2 "Lee Corso". ESPN MediaZone. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  14. ↑ "After a stroke, Lee Corso bounces back to resume his much-loved s". palmbeachpost.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  15. ↑ Wallace, Ava (October 14, 2017). "Not so fast, my friend: A stroke couldn't rob ESPN's Lee Corso of 'College GameDay'". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Lee Corso remembers former teammate, lifelong friend Burt Reynolds". September 6, 2018.
  17. ↑ Woods, Sean (October 2, 2015). "Lee Corso's Life Advice". Men's Journal. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.