Lee Corso’s impending retirement is prompting a run through the memories that made him a fixture of college football telecasts for decades. USA TODAY has a new book honoring his decades behind the microphone, Not So Fast, My Friend, set to publish just after Corso’s final College GameDay broadcast on ESPN, which is scheduled for August 30. The book and the farewell have fans looking back on the moment when Corso’s long career as a commentator and a coach touched generations of fans.
One of the most cited stories linked to Corso’s coaching life involves a vivid Iowa-I Indiana clash from 1979, when Hayden Fry was in his first season trying to revive the Hawkeyes after an 18-season losing streak. Fry, a Texas native who had found success at North Texas State, was at the helm for Indiana’s opponent in a home opener at Kinnick Stadium that would become one of the defining moments of Fry’s early years in Iowa City.
Fry recalls the atmosphere as his team took the field in a spread formation to a standing ovation from the home crowd. Iowa raced to a 26-3 lead at halftime, and the celebration in the locker room suggested the game was over. Fry later wrote that his players were already celebrating like the game was finished, and convincing them there were 30 minutes left was not easy. Indiana surged back, scoring on a long pass in the final minute and pulling off a 30-26 upset that stunned the sellout crowd.
Corso, who had moved on from Indiana to become a rising star on ESPN, explained a key point in the comeback: a play he’d borrowed from Notre Dame. Known for his quick-witted game plans as a coach and a later career as a perceptive analyst, Corso described the trick play as the 82 split end across, tailback up. The defense, he suggested, might have been fooled into thinking the ball would go elsewhere, allowing Indiana to close the gap.
The victory kept Iowa from achieving that elusive winning season at the time, a disappointment Fry acknowledged as he later recounted the moment. Corso’s reaction to the comeback was measured: he gave credit to Iowa for their first-half adjustments and noted that his players had to sustain that level of play for a full game.
The game’s aftermath became a notable moment in both coaches’ careers. Fry, who would go on to become a state icon with 143 wins, 89 losses and six ties across a 20-year tenure with the Hawkeyes and three Rose Bowl appearances, would eventually guide Iowa to its first Rose Bowl appearance the following year. Corso’s Indiana tenure, by contrast, included an 8-4 season and a Holiday Bowl victory in 1979, followed by a 6-5 season in 1980, a 3-8-1 campaign in 1981, and a 5-6 mark in 1982. After leaving Indiana, Corso spent a season at Northern Illinois in 1984, played a year in the USFL, and joined ESPN in 1987, where he became a defining voice of College GameDay.
Corso’s connection to the Midwest continued long after his coaching days. College GameDay has rolled into Ames and Iowa City several times over the years, turning into a shared memory bank for fans in the region. The four notable visits listed in the piece show the program’s reach and Corso’s enduring appeal:
– September 11, 2021, in Ames: No. 10 Iowa defeated No. 9 Iowa State 27-17. Corso predicted the Hawkeyes would win the Cy-Hawk showdown, a prediction that aligned with the eventual outcome as Iowa’s defense and a late defensive play helped seal the victory.
– September 14, 2019, in Ames: No. 20 Iowa beat Iowa State 18-17 in a game that featured a weather-delayed start. Corso’s pick diverged from the final result only slightly, as the game remained tight and decided by a late rally and standout field-goal work.
– September 30, 2006, in Iowa City: No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 13 Iowa 38-17. Corso’s visit came on a day when turnovers and a tough first half kept Iowa from pulling off the upset against the perennial power.
– October 26, 1996, in Iowa City: No. 2 Ohio State beat No. 20 Iowa 38-26. The Buckeyes led 31-6 at halftime, but Iowa staged a late rally as Tim Dwight scored two late touchdowns to add a respectable final score.
As fans anticipate Corso’s retirement, the broader message is one of gratitude for a voice whose presence helped define a generation of college football viewing. The final broadcast on College GameDay marks the end of an era, but the ongoing conversation about Corso’s influence continues through the new book and the enduring archives of the show.
Additional context and value for readers
– A quick timeline of Corso’s career highlights, from Indiana to ESPN, can help readers appreciate the arc of his influence in college football media.
– A small sidebar listing the four notable GameDay visits to Iowa venues provides a sense of the show’s long-standing connection to the region and to the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry, which remains a staple of the college football calendar.
– For fans seeking deeper reflections, the book Not So Fast, My Friend promises a curated look at Corso’s most memorable moments, blending his coaching memory with his signature on-air perspective.
Overall, the article serves as both a tribute to a storied figure and a reminder of how a game remembered for one dramatic comeback in 1979 still echoes through the sport’s culture today. Corso’s departure closes a chapter, but his influence—in the booth, on the field, and in the shared memories of fans—persists as a hopeful note for the future of college football broadcasting.