On Jan. 26, the idea of Tim Lester being Iowa football’s next offensive coordinator seemed remote, far-fetched, and for some fans, an undue burden. That morning, another candidate was, quite literally, in the picture. Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz was having breakfast with former Duke offensive coordinator Kevin Johns.

First posted by The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman, the image gave the Black and Gold faithful hope that the months-long hiring process had concluded. That is, until a now-deleted tweet from The Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow that floated the idea of Lester as a legitimate candidate. Hours later, Leistikow explained that his words were “unnecessarily stoking legit angst” about the hiring process.

For Iowa fans and media alike, Lester leading the Hawkeye offense was simply a rumor. Five days later, that rumor became reality, as Iowa officially announced the hiring of Lester, who had just spent 2023 working as an analyst for the Green Bay Packers.

Lester will be earning $1.1 million in 2024 and $1.4 million in 2025. His predecessor, Brian Ferentz, collected $850,000 in his final season on the sideline.

“My family and I are extremely excited to move to Iowa City and be a part of this football program,” Lester said in his introductory press conference on Feb. 6. “I can tell you right now that we’re going to be a physical football team. We’re going to be disciplined and aggressive in everything we do from the run game, pass game, keepers, run-pass options, and tempo … It’s about putting your players in the best position to succeed.”

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said Lester was chosen from a list of 10-12 candidates, six of whom the head coach had conversations with. Lester was one of four candidates Ferentz had “extensive conversations with.” Per The Register, former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst turned down the job offer in mid-January. The head coach did not mention who the fourth candidate was.

A four-year starting quarterback for Western Michigan, Lester got his feet wet in the coaching industry just two years after graduating, taking on the role of offensive coordinator at Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Illinois. He broke into the college ranks in 2002 with Elmhurst, then bounced between St. Joseph’s, North Central, and his alma mater before earning his first Power-Five coordinating gig with Syracuse in 2014.

That season, the Orange ranked 113th in the nation with 329.9 yards per game and 118th in scoring offense at 17.1 points per contest as the team finished 3-9.

Despit the poor offensive numbers, Ferentz said he brushed past Lester’s time at Syracuse during the hiring process, describing how he himself has had poor years before taking over the helm with the Hawkeyes. For instance, during his time with Maine, Ferentz averaged four wins per season. Reflecting upon his time with the Orange, Lester said he dealt with injuries to his starting and backup quarterback.

“We took over a team that ran a spread offense that didn’t have the tight end, but we tried our blend them together,” Lester said of Syracuse’s offense compared to the ones he’s ran in the past.

Following a season-stint as the Purdue quarterbacks coach — where he ran a version of the New Orleans Saints offense — Lester reunited once again with the Broncos as head coach – his first time at the helm in Division I. While Western Michigan was fresh off a 13-1 campaign, the school was reeling after the departure of head coach P.J. Fleck to Minnesota, as well as at least eight recruits who flipped their commitments to the Golden Gophers, per The Detroit News.

After a 6-6 introductory campaign, Lester took over offensive play calling duties ahead of the 2018 season. From 2018-20, the Broncos never fell outside the top-40 nationally with regard to total offense or scoring offense. By comparison, Iowa has only cracked the top-50 twice in either category during that span.

In 2021, Lester ceded play-calling to two co-offensive coordinators and enjoyed his best season with the Broncos, leading the squad to an 8-5 campaign, including his first bowl triumph in a 52-24 victory over Nevada. Over 13 games, the Broncos ranked 34th in the nation in points per game while averaging 467.2 yards per contest. Utilizing a run game that dashed for 212.8 yards per game, Western Michigan dominated in terms of time of possession, holding onto the ball for more than 35 minutes each week — good enough for fourth in the FBS.

“I feel like we did a good job with running the ball and finding our run lanes, and the pass comes after that,” Lester said of that season. “We never even talked about throwing the ball until we figured out how to move the ball on the ground. That was an explosive team.”

Lester’s final season in Kalamazoo proved to be his undoing, as the Broncos took a major step back, specifically in offensive production. After its starting quarterback Kaleb Eleby and receivers Skyy Moore and D’Wayne Eskridge all left for the NFL Draft, Western Michigan finished 124th in total offense and 119th in scoring offense. Mustering a 5-7 mark, the Broncos were limited to less than 20 points on eight occasions.

That season, Lester hired a new offensive coordinator to call plays, but eventually assumed the duty for the team’s last four games. During that period, the Broncos played .500 football and averaged 15.5 points per contest. Lester explained how he had a young team who struggled with turnovers, but maintained the team found some growth during the final month of the season.

“We kept ourselves in games that our defense played great, and we found a way to win those games. That’s what we had. That was our best foot forward,” Lester said, adding he had to call plays with different vernacular than what he was used to.

As for Lester’s time in Green Bay, Ferentz said that stint was an “attractive” part of the coordinator’s past. The head coach said Lester was in charge of analyzing opposing teams’ offenses to assist in the Packers’ defensive scheme. To Ferentz, this was a “sabbatical” year for Lester in helping to grow his “real extensive knowledge of offensive football.”

In a radio interview with Iowa play-by-play announcer Gary Dolphin, Lester also cited his past in Green Bay, where he coached with a version of Kyle Shanahan’s offense under Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. According to Lester, Shanahan’s scheme has grown popular across the NFL, as it prioritizes keeping the ball on the ground to set up explosive passing plays. This pattern is a feature Lester wants to implement in Iowa City.

“I think a 50-50 split is the goal,” Lester said. “But … I’ve been calling games since I got out of playing. I’ve called games with 70 passes, and I’ve called games with 70 runs. So you really have to be able to adjust. The plan is always 50-50.”

As for how much leverage Lester would have on the offensive scheme, Ferentz emphasized the importance of “non-negotiables” in coaching strategies, such as ensuring a run-pass balance, beneficial field position, and ball security.

“We’ve been here 25 years now, and the parameters have been pretty much the same,” Ferentz told Dolphin.

Back in the COVID-19 shortened season of 2020, Iowa averaged 31.8 points per game — which ranked 40th in the NCAA. In a span of three seasons, that ranking has fallen each season, most recently to 129th in 2023. Given such a recent downturn, Lester didn’t shy away from the challenge.

“I think the biggest thing is you want people that want to be here, as a head coach, as an offensive coordinator,” Lester told Dolphin. “But you’ve got to be able to put a product out there that people want to be a part of. That’s important.”

A critical target audience of that recruiting pitch will be towards wide receivers, a position group Lester said he values, especially in terms of flexibility. The coordinator detailed how he aims to put receivers in different spots along the line of scrimmage, including the backfield.

“I haven’t had the chance to meet with all of the wide receivers yet, but I want to make sure the quarterback understands we are going to spread the ball around and he’s going to read his keys as he’s supposed to,” Lester said. “It’s my job to make sure that those first couple of options is the guy that we want it to be.”

Lester’s other role in Iowa City will be as quarterbacks coach, where he will guide starter Cade McNamara as the Michigan transfer returns from a season-ending knee injury. As for what he looks for under center, Lester prioritizes efficiency over mobility, which he says is very “enamoring” to many, but often proves ineffective in crunch time. Even still, Lester heightened the importance of adaptability in the face of different skillsets.

“Everybody’s comfortable doing different things,” Lester said. “I think sometimes quarterback coaches, you know, they have things they like to do. I’m not married to anything. I’ve run a lot of things … I’ve got to figure out what [McNamara’s] good at, and I’ve got to put him in those situations as much as possible.”

For Lester, directing an offense isn’t about being a “jack of all trades and a master of none,” but rather depending upon strengths. Yet before identifying the potential advantages the Hawkeyes have over other teams, Lester said he must first connect with those who perform on the field. Even if he may be surprise hire, Lester isn’t going to elevate himself above anyone else.

“I have a saying: RBO,” he said. “Relationship before opportunity. I’ll have a great opportunity to coach these young men once I have a relationship with them. That process is going to start real soon, and we’re looking forward to have the opportunity to have some fun out there and be aggressive at all times.”