Lee Corso Returns to Bloomington with ‘College GameDay’

Written By: Ben Gillard (@benjgillard)

Indiana’s homecoming was technically last week, but when a legend returns to campus, you make exceptions. That legend, of course, being former Indiana Head Coach and the face of ESPN’s College GameDay, Lee Corso. Corso, who coached the Hoosiers from 1973-1982, famously led IU to one of their best seasons ever, going 8-4 and winning the Holiday Bowl in 1979. This will be Corso’s second time returning to Bloomington (he first returned in 2017 for a special Thursday night edition of College GameDay) and GameDay’s first official episode at Indiana.  

When asked about what it means to be back in Bloomington with Coach Corso, “Stanford” Steve Coughlin said, “We were at the hotel this morning and Coach Corso and I were in line getting a coffee, and the look on people’s faces, the members of the ‘79 team, it really hit you; I’m like, man, I was 2 years old in 1979; I didn’t know about the bowl team. But just the genuineness of Bloomington, you feel it, and it’s awesome.”

Coughlin continued saying, “[Corso] was amazed. I can’t imagine being his age and having that many memories at a place for 10 years, and I don’t know when’s the last time he saw half of these people. There’s a feeling that he gave them a lot of the best times of their lives…and everything you wanted to play out so far has with the recognition and the love he’s been shown.”

College GameDay Host Rece Davis echoed these statements, saying, “I love, love, love [Corso’s] old stories, and the way we’re going to open the show tomorrow I think is going to be special. I’m not going to give it away, but I think people will enjoy it.”

Davis continued saying, “I went back and read the old article from Sports Illustrated Vault on Lee’s approach to trying to build a winner when he came here and his ability to entertain while still being a hardnose competitor as he was when he was a coach…and it’s been wonderful to bring him back and see how excited people are to have him back.”

You can catch Coach Corso’s return to Bloomington starting at 9 a.m. Saturday on ESPN, and be sure to follow Hoosier Huddle for all things Indiana Football this season.