For the first time in program history, the Indiana Hoosiers, under second-year head coach Curt Cignetti, captured the national championship with a thrilling 27‑21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes.
The Hoosiers completed a perfect 16‑0 season, and Cignetti has engineered what may be the greatest program turnaround in college football history, achieving it in just two years in Bloomington.
But long before Cignetti, Indiana football was shaped by the legendary Lee Corso, who coached the program for 10 seasons from 1973 to 1982.
In 1979, Corso led the Hoosiers to their first-ever bowl victory — a milestone the now 90-year-old reminded his longtime ESPN colleague Kirk Herbstreit of before Monday night’s game.
More news: Bills Ranked No. 1 Landing Spot Amid Head Coach Vacancy
More news: Damar Hamlin Reacts to Bills Firing Head Coach Sean McDermott
Herbstreit, who was on the call for the national title game, later revealed the conversation and gave a shoutout to Corso from the booth following Indiana’s historic win.
“Chris [Fowler] and I just want to give a quick shoutout to Lee Corso,” Herbstreit said. “I talked with him earlier today, and he was completely dialed in and excited about what Indiana was doing. He was picking Indiana. He knew they could pull this off and finish their season strong.
He said, ‘Hey, don’t forget 1979 — their first bowl season, our first bowl victory as a school. 1979, we beat BYU.’ I told him, ‘Coach, we’ll never forget that.’”
Corso and Herbstreit share a relationship that goes back many years, stemming from their time together on ESPN’s College GameDay. Corso had been part of the show since its inception in 1987, not long after his stint in Bloomington.
Herbstreit joined the program in 1996, and up until Week 1 of this season — when Corso retired — the two were side by side, supporting and looking out for one another.
More news: Falcons Make DC Decision After Kevin Stefanski Hiring
Read the full article here
