Lee Corso Will Retire From ESPN at 90

Lee Corso is officially hanging up his headgear. 

The former college football coach turned broadcaster is retiring after 38 years on air, ESPN said Thursday. The network said Corso will make his final appearance on College GameDay on Aug. 30, the opening week of the college football season.

Corso, who has been part of the show since its 1987 launch, will turn 90 that month.

He became known for picking the winner of the week’s biggest game by donning the headgear of the school’s mascot. The tradition started in 1996 when he put on the head of Ohio State’s Brutus Buckeye. It was the start of a long-term relationship between Corso and Brutus as he would go on to wear his headgear a record 45 times over the course of more than 400 picks. 

“ESPN has been exceptionally generous to me, especially these past few years. They accommodated me and supported me, as did my colleagues in the early days of College GameDay,” Corso said in a statement. “Special thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for his friendship and encouragement. And lest I forget, the fans … truly a blessing to share this with them. ESPN gave me this wonderful opportunity and provided me the support to ensure success. I am genuinely grateful.”

Corso’s health has declined since he suffered a stroke in 2009. He has appeared more sporadically on GameDay in recent years, with ESPN hiring Nick Saban and Pat McAfee to prepare for a future without the boisterous Corso.

Corso played football at Florida State in the mid-1950s and got into coaching shortly afterward. He was head coach at Indiana from 1973 to 1982 and led the Hoosiers to the 1979 Holiday Bowl. 

“Lee Corso has developed a special connection to generations of fans through his entertaining style and iconic headgear picks,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Lee is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of college football and our ESPN team will celebrate his legendary career during his final College GameDay appearance this August.”