Lee Corso
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Cicero, Illinois, U.S. | August 7, 1935
Playing career | |
1953–1957 | Florida State |
Position(s) | 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 | |
2 MVC (1970, 1972) | |
Lee Richard Corso[1] (born August 7, 1935) is an American sports broadcaster and 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.
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
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
After college, Corso became the quarterbacks coach at
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
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
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
Corso made a brief cameo in a 2006
Corso appeared annually in
Other work, charities, and personal life
In the off-season, Corso serves as Director of Business Development for
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.
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 ten grandchildren.[17]
Head coaching record
College
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 | T Pasadena | ||||
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 | W Holiday | 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 | |||||||||
|
USFL
Team | Year | Regular Season | Postseason | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | |||
ORL | 1985 | 5 | 13 | 0 | .228 | 7th in Eastern Con. | 0 | 0 | .000 | |
Total | 5 | 13 | 0 | .228 |
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b c "Funny Business". orlandomagazine.com. September 19, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ^ a b "Life and times of Lee Corso". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ^ "Lee Corso". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Alumni Hall of Fame: Lee Corso Archived June 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, accessed May 17, 2013.
- ^ "2002 Record Book" (PDF). Florida State University. 2002. p. 259. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Don't Let 'em Wear You Down!, SI.com
- ^ "Fired Indiana football coach Lee Corso has been asked... - UPI Archives".
- ^ Tucker, Ricky. "NCAA Football 10". Game Vortex.
- ^ a b Hiestand, Michael (April 20, 2005). "Corso penciled in for variety". USA Today. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
- ^ a b "Lee Corso". ESPN MediaZone. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ^ "After a stroke, Lee Corso bounces back to resume his much-loved s". palmbeachpost.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Lee Corso remembers former teammate, lifelong friend Burt Reynolds". September 6, 2018.
- ^ Woods, Sean (October 2, 2015). "Lee Corso's Life Advice". Men's Journal. Retrieved April 7, 2016.