Lee Corso Leland " Lee " Corso ( born August 7 , 1935 ) is a sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN . He has been featured on ESPN ' s " College GameDay " program since its inception and he appeared annually as a commentator in EA Sports ' " NCAA Football " through NCAA Football 11 . In the off season , Corso serves as Director of Business Development for Dixon Ticonderoga , a Florida based pencil manufacturing company . Corso played college football at Florida State University . He served as the head football coach at the University of Louisville ( 1969 – 1972 ) , Indiana University ( 1973 – 1982 ) , and Northern Illinois University ( 1984 ) , compiling a career college football record of 73 – 85 – 6 . Corso was also the head coach of the United States Football League ' s Orlando Renegades in 1985 . Early life and playing career . Corso was born in Montréal , Québec , Canada , and attended Westmount High School where he played quarterback . He played college football at Florida State University , where he was a roommate of football player and actor Burt Reynolds and future University of Miami baseball coach Ron Fraser . As a defensive player , he set the school record for most career interceptions ( 14 ) , a record that stood for more than two decades until it was broken by Monk Bonasorte . He was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity . Corso was the starting quarterback for the South in the 1956 Blue - Gray Game , though his squad lost to the Len Dawson - led North team , 14 – 0 . Corso was also an important baseball player for FSU . Coaching career . Upon graduating from Florida State with a bachelor ' s degree in physical education in 1957 and a master ' s degree in administration and supervision in 1958 , Corso became the quarterbacks coach at Maryland under his former FSU coach Tommy Nugent . In 1962 , Corso followed Nugent ' s guidance to recruit an academically and athletically qualified black player and convinced Darryl Hill to transfer from the Naval Academy , making him the first African - American football player in the Atlantic Coast Conference . In 1966 , Lee took a job as the defensive backs coach at Navy . In 1969 , he was given the head coaching position at Louisville where he coached his ESPN colleague Tom Jackson . After taking Louisville to only its second - ever bowl game in 1970 , he was hired by Indiana in 1972 . Corso coached at Indiana from 1973 - 1982 , leading the Hoosiers to two winning seasons in 1979 and 1980 . The 1979 regular season ended with 7 - 4 record and earned a trip to the 1979 Holiday Bowl . There the Hoosiers would beat the previously unbeaten Brigham Young Cougars . Indiana ' s victory over the Cougars propelled the team to 16th in the UPI poll , the Hoosiers ' first top - 20 ranking since 1967 . Corso ' s record was 41 – 68 – 2 over his ten years at Indiana . Corso was the 16th head college football coach for the Northern Illinois University Huskies . In his lone season as Northern Illinois ' s head coach , his record was 4 – 6 – 1 . After a brief stint at Northern Illinois , Corso made his professional football coaching debut for Orlando Renegades of the USFL in 1985 . The team , as well as the league folded following the season . Broadcasting career . In 1987 , Lee was hired by ESPN as an analyst for the " College GameDay " program . He often plays the role of comic foil to co - hosts Desmond Howard , Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit as they cover the major college football games from August until January . Corso ' s catchphrase , " Not so fast , my friend ! " , with pencil always in hand , is usually directed at Kirk Herbstreit , in disagreement with Herbstreit ' s predictions . Corso is also known for ending every weekly show with his mascot headgear prediction , when he chooses who he thinks will win the game at " GameDay " ' s site by donning the headpiece of the school ' s mascot . Corso also says " sweetheart " to almost everyone . Corso makes a brief cameo in a 2006 Nike commercial featuring the fictional Briscoe High School football team , portrayed by football icons such as Michael Vick , LaDainian Tomlinson , Brian Urlacher , Troy Polamalu , by coaches Don Shula , Jimmy Johnson , and Urban Meyer , and by fellow FSU great Deion Sanders . Corso takes his hawk mascot head off while the game ' s deciding play unfolds in slow - motion . Corso appeared annually in EA Sports " NCAA Football " titles along with Herbstreit and play - by - play man Brad Nessler until NCAA Football 11 where he does not do play - by - play . The 2006 edition of the game begins with Corso making his mascot headgear prediction . If the team Corso chooses does not have a mascot , he wears the helmet instead like on " College GameDay " . Other work and charity . In 2001 , Corso spearheaded an effort to create a crayon completely out of soybeans . Corso serves as honorary chairman of Coaches Curing Kids ' Cancer , a charity that raises money for pediatric cancer research through youth sports teams . Corso was honored with the NCFAA ' s Contributions to College Football Award during the Home Depot College Football Awards show at the Atlantic Dance Hall at Walt Disney World on December 9 , 2010 for his 57 year association with college football as a player , head coach and analyst .