Kirk Ferentz comments on hiring of Tim Lester as new offensive coordinator
Kirk Ferentz officially announced the hiring of new offensive coordinator Tim Lester on Wednesday afternoon.
Lester replaces Brian Ferentz, who parted ways with the program after the 2023 season. Iowa’s offense finished dead last amongst FBS teams in yards-per-play last season.
Lester was most recently in college football as the head coach at Western Michigan from 2017-22. He was an analyst for the Green Bay Packers during the 2023 campaign. His career also includes stops at Purdue and Syracuse.
“I am excited to welcome Tim to our coaching staff as our offensive coordinator,” Ferentz said in a statement. “His experience as both a head coach and a coordinator at several different levels of football gives him an excellent perspective. I believe his expertise and personality make him a perfect fit for this position.”
Lester’s offenses at Western Michigan routinely finished in the top 3 of the MAC in terms of yards per play. Lester took the Broncos to 3 bowl games, including an 8-win campaign in 2021.
Lester will now step in to try to fix Iowa’s struggling offense. The Hawkeyes have maintained an elite defense over the last few years, but haven’t had an offense finish in the top half of the Big Ten in yards per play since 2015.