ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit Offers Emotional Defense of Lee Corso

The ‘College GameDay’ analyst compared his 88-year-old mentor to one of ESPN’s newest personalities.

Lee Corso is a college football legend by any standard, but his ongoing presence on ESPN’s College GameDay has become somewhat controversial to some, as the 88-year-old former coach has endured a rash of health concerns in recent years that have kept him away from the show some weeks and have reduced his camera time when he’s on the show.

In a recent GQ profile written by Alex Kirshner, Corso said he plans to be back with the show next fall, acknowledging how his role has shifted since 1987, when College GameDay began.

“I’m gonna be like that guy in Vaudeville,” Corso said. “They hook him around the neck, and they pull him off the stage as he keeps talking.”

Lee Corso has served as a mentor to Kirk Herbstreit during his ESPN career :: Andrew Wevers/USA TODAY Sports

The profile focuses on Corso’s relationship with Kirk Herbstreit. The 54-year-old former Ohio State quarterback is instrumental in aiding Corso on Saturdays and relishes that role while crediting Corso for helping mentor him as a young broadcaster in the 1990s.

Herbstreit discussed that relationship during a Friday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, and he said that decades ago, Corso’s role in college football media was similar to McAfee’s now. 

“He’s a different guy today at 88 years old than a guy that I broke in with. He was you [McAfee] dude, he was you of 1996. He was cutting edge. … He was you when it comes to just saying stuff that other people didn’t say. Having the audacity and having the courage to just say … what other people thought. And he did that consistently, and that’s how he became Lee Corso, really. And then he had passion.”

Kirk Herbstreit compares Lee Corso to Pat McAfee as part of a heartwarming tribute pic.twitter.com/g93kv7cH9i

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 29, 2023

Herbstreit admitted that more than anyone, including his own father, Corso listened to him, gave him career advice and guided him early in his broadcasting career. And for that, he’ll never shy away from defending Corso.

“Lee Corso listened to me … I didn’t really have a lot of people in my life who did that, so I’ll never forget what he did for me,” Herbstreit said.