Kirk Ferentz has found his son’s replacement.
Tim Lester will serve as Iowa football’s offensive coordinator, it was announced Sunday.
Sources: Iowa is expected to hire Tim Lester, the former Western Michigan coach, as offensive coordinator. Lester spent the 2023 season as a Green Bay Packers analyst and was set to take the OC job at Troy. Iowa also strongly considered former Duke OC Kevin Johns, per sources.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 28, 2024
Lester most recently served as a senior analyst for the Green Bay Packers, where he was tasked to “study the offense of each of the Packers opponents and help the defense game plan.”
Lester was the starting quarterback for Western Michigan from 1996-99, leading the Broncos to a Mid-American Conference Championship appearance his senior season.
He was hired as Western Michigan’s head coach in 2017 and was fired in 2022 after going 5-7, his first losing season at the helm. The Broncos averaged 19 points and 301.9 yards per game in 2022.
Lester finished his tenure with the Broncos 37-32 overall and 26-20 in MAC play.
Western Michigan’s NCAA ranks in total offense and scoring offense under Lester:
2018: 39th, 35th
2019: 25th, 30th
2020: 16th, 9th
2021: 12th, 34th
Lester served as Syracuse’s quarterbacks coach from 2013- 15 and doubled as offensive coordinator in 2014-15. He then served as quarterbacks coach at Purdue for one season before returning to his alma mater.
Lester replaces Brian Ferentz, who served as Iowa’s offensive line coach from 2012-16 before taking on the offensive coordinator role on Jan. 9, 2017.
Iowa averaged over 25 points per game in four of his six seasons as offensive coordinator. The Hawkeyes averaged 28.2 points per game in 2017, 31.2 in 2018, 25.8 in 2019, 31.8 in 2020, and 23.4 in 2021.
One of the worst offensive seasons of head coach Kirk Ferentz’s tenure came in 2022. The Hawkeyes averaged 17.7 points per game — 123rd in the FBS — and ranked second-to-last in total offense with 251.6 yards per contest.
It got worse in 2023.
The 10-4 Hawkeyes averaged 15.4 points and 235.4 yards per game, ranking second-to-last and last in the FBS, respectively.
In February 2023, former Athletic Director Gary Barta amended Brian Ferentz’s contract for the upcoming season. The contract included designated performance objectives of at least 25 points per game and seven wins, including the bowl game.
Following Iowa’s 12-10 loss to Minnesota in Week 8, the UI’s then-Interim Athletic Director Beth Goetz said in a statement she informed Brian Ferentz that “this is his last season with the program.” His final game as a Hawkeye ended in a 35-0 blowout loss to Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.