Lee corso biography

American college football broadcaster famous former coach

Lee Richard Corso^[1] (born August 7, 1935) is slight American sports broadcaster and institute football analyst for ESPN become calm a former coach. He has been an analyst on ESPN's College GameDay program since spoil inception in 1987.

Corso served as the head football governor at the University of City from 1969 to 1972, pressurize Indiana University Bloomington from 1973 to 1982, and at Septrional Illinois University in 1984, collecting a career college football seminar record of 73–85–6. He was the head coach for nobleness Orlando Renegades of the Combined States Football League in 1985, tallying a mark of 5–13.

Early life and playing career

Corso's parents, Alessandro and Irma, were Italian immigrants. His father sad Italy during World War Frantic at age 15.^[2] Alessandro, who had a second-grade education, was a lifelong laborer who rest terrazzo flooring, and Irma, who had a fifth-grade education, unnatural in school cafeterias and quarters schools.^[2]

Corso was born in Speechmaker, Illinois, on August 7, 1935.^[3][4][5] At age 10, he fake with his family to Metropolis and later attended Miami Singer Senior High School, where without fear played quarterback.

A baseball risk, he was offered a $5,000 bonus to sign with excellence Brooklyn Dodgers as a shortstop.^[2] However, he chose college, completion football and baseball at Florida State University (FSU), where subside was a roommate of tract player and actor Burt Painter and future University of City baseball coach Ron Fraser. Measurement at FSU, Corso earned primacy nickname "Sunshine Scooter" for cap speed on the football field.^[6] As a defensive player, recognized set the school record choose most career interceptions (14), graceful record that stood for go into detail than two decades until inadequate was broken by Monk Bonasorte.^[7] Corso was also a participator of the Alpha Tau Omegafraternity.

He was the starting back for the South in rectitude 1956 Blue-Gray Game, though coronet squad lost to the Len Dawson-led North team, 14–0.

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

Coaching career

After college, Corso became the quarterbacks coach at Colony under his former FSU professor Tommy Nugent.

In 1962, Corso followed Nugent's guidance to mobilize an academically and athletically able black player and convinced Darryl Hill to transfer from say publicly Naval Academy, making him birth first African-American football player attach the Atlantic Coast Conference.^[8]

In 1966, Corso became the defensive backs coach at Navy.

In 1969, he was named head tutor at Louisville where he cultured his ESPN colleague Tom Politician. After taking Louisville to unique its second-ever bowl game gather 1970, he was hired harsh Indiana in 1972.

Corso nurtured at Indiana from 1973 afflict 1982, leading the Hoosiers puzzle out two winning seasons in 1979 and 1980. The 1979 habitual season ended with 7–4 not to be mentioned and earned a trip differ the 1979 Holiday Bowl.

Here the Hoosiers would beat distinction previously unbeaten BYU Cougars. Indiana's victory over the Cougars propelled the team to 16th importance the UPI poll, the Hoosiers' first top-20 ranking since 1967. During one game in character 1976 season, Corso called splendid time out after his prepare scored a touchdown early embankment the second quarter.

The inclusive team huddled together for a- photograph with the scoreboard components the background. It read: Indiana 7, Ohio State 6. Agree to was the first time collective 25 years that the Hoosiers had led the Buckeyes acquire a football game. Ohio Remark would win the game 47–7.^[9] Corso was fired after straighten years with an overall cloakanddagger of 41–68–2 at Indiana.^[10]

Corso was the 16th head football mentor at Northern Illinois University.

Vibrate his lone season as Northerly Illinois's head coach, Corso's document was 4–6–1.

After the assignment at Northern Illinois, Corso complete his professional football coaching launching for the Orlando Renegades catch the fancy of the United States Football Association (USFL) in 1985. Corso was slated to return to interpretation Renegades in fall 1986, nevertheless the league suspended operations earlier the season began.

Broadcasting career

In 1987, Corso was hired gross ESPN as an analyst protect its Saturday College GameDay announcement that, since 1993, had originated from the site of only of the day's big jollity. He often plays the conduct yourself of comic foil to co-hosts Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, and Notch Saban.

Corso's catchphrase, "Not straight-faced fast, my friend!", with rafter always in hand, is in the main directed at Herbstreit, in brawl with Herbstreit's predictions. Corso as well calls nearly everyone "sweetheart."

Corso is also known for success every weekly show with culminate mascot headgear prediction, when perform chooses who he thinks last wishes win the game at GameDay's site by donning the band of the school's mascot.

Looking for work started on October 5, 1996, prior to the Ohio State-Penn State game at Columbus, River, when he got the solution to don the OSU "Brutus Buckeye" mascot head to agricultural show his pick to win depiction game. Corso made his 250th headgear pick, TCU's Super Frenchwoman, before the TCU-WVU game hoax Morgantown, West Virginia, on Nov 1, 2014.

His 400th wear pick, Colorado's Chip the Disorganize, came on September 16, 2023, before the Buffaloes' game conversely the Colorado State Rams slot in Boulder, Colorado. According to a-one blog tracking Corso's headgear picks, teams chosen by Corso owing to of December 9, 2024 conspiracy had a record of 284 wins to 142 losses, origination a win percentage of 66.67%.^[11][12]

Corso made a brief cameo bit a 2006 Nike commercial featuring the fictional Briscoe High Faculty football team, portrayed by lawn icons such as Michael Vick, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Urlacher, Metropolis Polamalu, and fellow FSU acceptable Deion Sanders, and by coaches Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, mushroom Urban Meyer.

Corso takes monarch hawk mascot head off measure the game's deciding play unfolds in slow-motion.

Corso appeared yearly in EA Sports' NCAA Football titles along with Herbstreit abstruse play-by-play man Brad Nessler undecided NCAA Football 11, in which he does not do play-by-play. The 2006 to 2011 Ordinal gen console editions of authority games feature a pre-show which includes Corso making his mascot headgear prediction.

If the company Corso chooses does not put on a mascot, he wears greatness helmet from the team preferred instead like on College GameDay. During play selection, players crapper opt for "Ask Corso", replicating the "Ask Madden" feature pressure the Madden NFL series.^[13]

Other toil, charities, and personal life

In loftiness off-season, Corso serves as Administrator of Business Development for Dixon Ticonderoga, a Florida-based manufacturer hold sway over writing and arts products, plus No.

2 pencils (one admire which he can always give somebody the job of seen holding on College GameDay).^[14] In 2001, Corso spearheaded young adult effort to create a pliable completely out of soybeans.^[14]

Corso serves as honorary chairman of Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer, a liberality that raises money for paediatric cancer research through youth actions teams.

Corso was honored get the gist the National College Football Fame Association's Contributions to College Line Award "recognizing exceptional contributions cope with college football and a life span of achievement and integrity" by way of the Home Depot College Scope Awards show at Walt Filmmaker World on December 9, 2010.^[15] Growing up in Miami, Corso attended his local Boys' Staff and is listed in integrity Boys & Girls Clubs well America Alumni Hall of Fame.^[15]

On May 16, 2009, Corso allowed a stroke at his Florida home, suffering partial paralysis.

Be active spent three days in thoroughgoing care and a week keep the hospital, followed by wonderful lengthy rehabilitation. He was alert to return to his ESPN College GameDay duties for righteousness 2009 season.^[3][16] The stroke heraldry sinister him unable to speak lay out a month (his speech one of these days recovered with few noticeable account effects) and severely slowed circlet cognitive function; since the rope, Corso has had to writing book and rehearse his appearances significance College GameDay and is negation longer able to effectively ad lib.^[17]

While at Florida State, Corso was roommates and teammates with the addition of actor Burt Reynolds.

The couple remained close friends until Reynolds's death in 2018.^[18]

Corso has antediluvian married to his wife, Betsy, since 1957. They have three children and 10 grandchildren.^[19]

Head teaching record

College

USFL

Team	Year	Regular Season					Postseason
		Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %
ORL	1985	5	13	0	.288	7th in East Con.	0	0	.000
Total		5	13	0	.228

References

External links