Chris Fowler (left), Lee Corso (center) and Kirk Herbstreit (right)
By Bill Bender
Sporting News
Lee Corso is forever the cornerstone of ESPN's "College GameDay" – the always energetic, entertaining and enthusiastic analyst.
We call him "Coach Corso" – and with good reason – even if the origin story is under-appreciated.
Corso will make his final headgear pick Saturday before the showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday. It's a full-circle moment considering Corso made his first headgear pick on Oct. 5 1996 before No. 3 Ohio State beat No. 4 Penn State 38-7.
Fox Sports' Chris "The Bear" Fallica – a FWAA member – was an analyst on "GameDay" from 1996-2022.
"He was always someone that saw that we were entertainers in college football," Fallica said. "He always used to say to us, 'We're in the entertainment business and college football is our vehicle.' He was truly ahead of his time."
Corso – a long-time FWAA member – became the ultimate pre-game attraction in college football – especially with his headgear picks at the end of "GameDay." He made "Not so fast" a go-to catchphrase when picking an upset. Corso helped the game grow through the Poll, Bowl Championship Series and College Football Playoff eras.
The precursor to that was "Coach Corso." He compiled a 73-85-6 record at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois from 1969-84. It was less about the record – and more about Corso's gift of engaging with players, coaches and fans.
Steve Spurrier saw that first-hand on Oct. 4, 1980. Spurrier was an assistant coach at Duke in the press-box at Memorial Stadium before a game against Indiana. That is when he first noticed Corso on the field.
"I'm up there watching guys stretch – pregame – and there's a guy from Indiana and he was going around shaking hands with everybody," Spurrier said. "They were on the ground stretching and everything. That was Coach Corso. He shook hands with everybody. He went up and down those aisles. When you're at home – you dress everybody. I said, 'Man, if I'm ever a head coach I gotta do that right there."
Mack Brown also formed a friendship with Corso through coaching. Brown recalled a story from Corso's first season at Louisville and a matchup against Memphis on Nov. 22, 1969. The Tigers beat the Cardinals 69-19 on the week of Thanksgiving.
"Memphis was so far ahead he walked to the hashmark, got on both knees and had a white flag and started waving it across the field," Brown said. "He was just fun."
Corso led Louisville to a 9-1 record in 1972 before leaving for Indiana. There is the legend of Corso having a picture taken when the Hoosiers took a 7-6 lead on No. 8 Ohio State on Oct. 30, 1976, but he would lead Indiana to winning seasons in 1979 and 1980.
Corso did that with his one-of-a-kind style.
"He wasn't afraid to think out of the box," Brown said. "At Indiana, he did a pre-game thing where he didn't even warm up, best I remember. He just brought the guys in on yellow buses and put them out and started the game and sold it as, 'This is going to be the most-unique pregame there has ever been.'"
He coached one season at Northern Illinois in 1984 before joining ESPN – where he has been part of the pre-game show since 1987 and became must-see TV along with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit when the show's popularity took off. Now, Corso is being recognized for all of those contributions to the game.
"People are understanding not only the impact he had on the sport – but sports television in general," Fallica said. "Now you have 'Big Noon Kickoff' and 'Inside the NBA.' All of these years didn't exist in this fashion. The one irreplaceable part of ESPN 'College GameDay' is Lee Corso."
That is the heart of "Coach Corso." It is about keeping those relationships. Spurrier said Corso even came to one of the Orlando Apollos games in 2019 in an Alliance of American Football game. Afterward, Corso had a message for the Head Ball Coach.
"That might have been your best coaching job," Spurrier remembers. "When he talks, everybody listens."
That goes for all great coaches, right?
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