Lee Corso

College coach infobox
Name = Leland Corso

---

Caption = Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on the set of "College GameDay"
DateOfBirth = 1936
Birthplace = Lake Mary, Florida
DateOfDeath =
Sport = American football
College =
Title =
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord =
BowlRecord =
Awards =
Championships =
CFbDWID = 448
Player = Y
Years = 1953-1957
Team = Florida State
Position =
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1969-1972
1973-1982
1984
1985
CoachTeams = Louisville Cardinals
Indiana Hoosiers
Northern Illinois Huskies
Orlando Renegades
FootballHOF =

Leland "Lee" Corso (born 1936) is a sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN. He has been featured on ESPN's "College GameDay" program since its inception and appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' "NCAA Football". In the off season, Corso serves as Director of Business Development for Dixon Ticonderoga, a Florida based pencil manufacturing company.cite news | first=Michael | last=Hiestand | coauthors= | title=Corso penciled in for variety | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2005-04-20-corso-cover_x.htm | work =USA Today | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-20 | language = ]

Biography

College playing career

Corso was born in Lake Mary, Florida, and attended Miami Jackson Senior High where he played quarterback. He played college football at Florida State University, where he was a roommate of football player and actor Burt Reynolds and former University of Miami Baseball Coach Ron Fraser. He was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Corso 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. Lee also was an important baseball player for FSU.

Coaching career

Upon graduating from Florida State in 1959 with a degree in physical education, Corso became the quarterbacks coach at the University of Maryland under his former FSU coach Tommy Nugent. In 1969, he was given the head coaching position at the University of Louisville. After taking Louisville to only its second-ever bowl game in 1972, he was hired by Indiana University.

Corso's record was 41-68-2 over his ten years at Indiana, and in 1983 he became an announcer for the burgeoning United States Football League (USFL).

Corso was the 16th head college football coach for the Northern Illinois University Huskies located in DeKalb, Illinois and he held that position for the 1984 season. His career coaching record at Northern Illinois was 4 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie. This ranks him 17th at Northern Illinois in total wins and 13th at Northern Illinois in winning percentage. [ [http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/mac/northern_illinois/coaching_records.php Northern Illinois Coaching Records ] ] After his brief stint as head coach at Northern Illinois, Corso returned to the USFL—this time as a coach for the Orlando Renegades.

Broadcasting career

In 1987, Lee was hired by ESPN as an analyst for the "College GameDay" program. He often plays the role of comic foil to co-hosts Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit as they cover the major college football games from August until January. Corso's catch phrase, "Not so fast, my friend!", with pencil always in hand, is usually directed at Kirk Herbstreit, in disagreement with Herbstreit's predictions. Corso is also known for ending every weekly show with his "Mascot Head Prediction," when he chooses who he thinks will win the game at "GameDay"'s site by donning the headpiece of the school's mascot.

Corso makes 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, by coaches Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, and Urban Meyer, and by fellow FSU great Deion Sanders. Corso takes his hawk mascot head off while the game's deciding play unfolds in slow-motion.

Corso also appears annually in EA Sports "NCAA Football" titles along with Herbstreit and play-by-play man Brad Nessler. The 2006 edition of the game begins with Corso making his mascot head prediction.

Other notable facts

In 2000, a game between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech was postponed [cite web |url=http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/2000/0828/709149.html |title=BCA, Virginia Tech propose a Dec. 1 date |date=2000-08-28 |accessdate=2008-06-04 |author=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |format=HTML] [cite web |url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20000828&slug=4039419 |title=Lightning, thunder zap BCA Classic |date=2000-08-28 |accessdate=2008-06-04 |author=Richard Rosenblatt |publisher=Seattle Times |format=HTML] (and later canceled [cite web |url=http://www.hokiesports.com/football/recaps/12232003aab.html |title=2004 Black Coaches Association Football Classic Set |date=2003-12-23 |accessdate=2008-06-04 |publisher=Virginia Tech |format=HTML |quote=Virginia Tech was scheduled to play in the 2000 BCA Classic versus Georgia Tech, but that game had to be canceled due to lightning.] ) when Corso's rental car was struck by lighting in Blacksburg, Virginia. [cite web |url=http://espn.go.com/ncf/s/notsofast.html |title=A sign from above tells me to pick the Hokies |accessdate=2008-06-04 |author=Lee Corso |date=2000-08-31 |publisher=ESPN |format=HTML] [cite web |url=http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/2000/0828/708695.html |title=Lightning strikes Corso's rental car |accessdate=2008-06-04 |author=Associated Press |date=2000-08-30 |publisher=ESPN |format=HTML]

In 2001, Corso spearheaded an effort to create a crayon completely out of soybeans.

Corso serves as honorary chairman of [http://www.curingkidscancer.org Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer] , a charity that raises money for pediatric cancer research through youth sports teams.

Coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Louisville Cardinals
conf=Missouri Valley Conference
startyear=1969
endyear=1972CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1969
name = Louisville
overall = 5-4-1
conference = 2-3
confstanding = T-3rd
bowl = noneCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1970
name = Louisville
overall = 8-3-1
conference = 4-0
confstanding = 1st
bowl = yes
bowlname = Pasadena Bowl
bowlopp = Long Beach State
bowloutcome = T 24-24

CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = zip
year = 1971
name = Louisville
overall = 6-3-1
conference = 3-2
confstanding = 5th
bowl = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1972
name = Louisville
overall = 9-1
conference = 4-1
confstanding = T-1st
bowl = no
ranking = 18 (AP)CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name=Louisville
overall=28-11-3
confrecord=13-6

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Indiana Hoosiers
conf=Big Ten Conference
startyear=1973
endyear=1982CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1973
name = Indiana
overall = 2-9
conference = 0-8
confstanding = T-9th
bowl = no

CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1974
name = Indiana
overall = 1-10
conference = 1-7
confstanding = 10th
bowl = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1975
name = Indiana
overall = 2-8-1
conference = 1-6-1
confstanding = 10th
bowl = no CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1976
name = Indiana
overall = 5-6
conference = 4-4
confstanding = T-3rd
bowl = no CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1977
name = Indiana
overall = 5-5-1
conference = 4-3-1
confstanding = 4th
bowl = no CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1978
name = Indiana
overall = 4-7
conference = 3-5
confstanding = 7th
bowl = no CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1979
name = Indiana
overall = 8-4
conference = 5-3
confstanding = 4th
bowl = yes
bowlname = Holiday
bowlopp = Brigham Young University
bowloutcome = W 38-37
ranking = 19 (AP) CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1980
name = Indiana
overall = 6-5
conference = 3-5
confstanding = T-6th
bowl = no CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1981
name = Indiana
overall = 3-8
conference = 2-7
confstanding = T-8th
bowl = no CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1982
name = Indiana
overall = 5-6
conference = 4-5
confstanding = 6th
bowl = no CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name=Indiana
overall=41-68-2
confrecord=27-53-2

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Northern Illinois Huskies
conf=Mid-American Conference
startyear=1984
endyear=1984CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1984
name = Northern Illinois
overall = 4-6-1
conference = 3-5-1
confstanding = T-6th
bowl = noCFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name=Northern Illinois
overall=4-6-1
confrecord=3-5-1CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 73-85-6
bcs =
poll =
polltype =

References

External links

* [http://www.espnmediazone.com/bios/Talent/Corso_Lee.htm Lee Corso's bio at ESPN.com]
*
* [http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/leecorso.html Transcript of KTCK-AM interview]

Awards and Honors

* Member, Florida State University Hall of Fame
* Member, University of Louisville Hall of Fame
* Member, Florida Sports Hall of Fame
* Member, Seminole Club of Greater Miami - Inducted into the "77 Club"

Persondata
NAME= Corso, Lee
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=College football coach and commentator
DATE OF BIRTH=1936
PLACE OF BIRTH=Lake Mary, Florida
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=