The city of Bloomington officially designated Saturday, Oct. 26, as “Coach Lee Corso Day,” as disclosed to Corso by Mayor Kerry Thomson on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” Corso returns to Bloomington on “GameDay” for the second time in 37 years, as Indiana football (7-0) is undefeated under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. On Saturday, Corso was celebrated for his homecoming when “GameDay” featured him reuniting with his old players and coaches ahead of the Hoosiers’ game against Washington.
Corso broke down in tears when Saturday was declared a holiday in his honor. He was surrounded by players of the Holiday Bowl-winning squad, which finished 8-4 and had Corso’s best record at Indiana from 1973 to 1982.
On Saturday, the 89-year-old “GameDay” panelist sported a classic Indiana sweater that was identical to one he usually wore while coaching the Hoosiers. During his visit on the show, Cignetti also shared a tale about Corso sending a letter to his family while his father, Frank Cignetti Sr., was battling illness. Cignetti Sr. served as the head coach at West Virginia and IUP from 1976 to 1979 and 1986 to 2005, respectively.
“Lee sent a holy cross that, according to the letter, had unique healing qualities, and it rested on top of (Frank Cignetti Sr.’s) dresser the entire time, from surgery to recovery. And he fought cancer and lived another 43 years.
