ESPN honored Lee Corso on his final College GameDay appearance on Saturday, but he wasn’t the only longtime member to be appreciated.
Along with the Corso celebration, GameDay showed a tribute to longtime producer Chad Hanna, who passed away in July after a battle with cancer.
Corso and Hanna were the last original College GameDay staffers from when the show began traveling in 1993.
“If you’ve ever watched College Game Day, you’ve known the work of Chad Hanna,” said GameDay producer Jim Gaiero in a tribute video. “If you ever worked on GameDay, you have known and loved Chad Hanna, the man.
“Only two people have worked on College GameDay since it hit the road. Coach Corso and Chad. See, as much as Coach has been the heart of the desk, Chad has been the lifeblood of the production truck. Countless ESPN producers first learned television at Chad’s side in the tape room. It was a master class on leading with respect and grace. I was lucky enough to be one of those producers.
“I will miss his smile, our conversations, our hugs, and all the laughs. But mostly, I’ll miss the person, Chad Hanna. Husband, father, grandfather, friend. Love you, Chad.”
Hanna was born in 1957 in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Jackson State University. He joined the GameDay crew in 1993, working as an EVS technician, cueing up replays, collaborating on important stories, and creating highlight packages, earning 12 Emmys for his work.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.