Tag: Tim Lester

CBS dives into biggest question facing the Iowa Hawkeyes entering spring football

Spring football is important every year. This year more so for Iowa. CBS dove into the biggest question that the Hawkeyes face.

Spring football is becoming more and more important in the college game. With the transfer portal and increased shuffling of coaches to new programs, it is often the first time to mesh new players and coaches on the field together.

These practices are vital for implementing new schemes, getting timing down, and starting to garner an identity ahead of the fall. For the Iowa Hawkeyes, this season’s spring practices have a renewed sense of importance with the hire of new offensive coordinator Tim Lester.

Iowa’s anemic offensive output the last few years led to the dismissal of Brian Ferentz and has now ushered in Lester. How the Hawkeyes can adapt to his offense, what it looks like, and how much control he has is CBS Sports’ biggest question for the Hawkeyes this spring.

What is the new offense going to look like? Longtime offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz is gone, replaced by former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester. While that change itself is a significant one on the surface due to the kind of offense Lester has run at previous stops, it remains to be seen what Lester’s Iowa offense will look like.

In previous stops, Lester’s teams have run almost primarily out of the shotgun and featured plenty of RPOs. Will he be allowed to run his offense in Iowa City, or will coach Kirk Ferentz task him with running a more “Ferentz-like” version of the offense? This spring will be our first glimpse. – Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports

Does Kirk Ferentz enter the modern era of offensive football with run-pass options and more creativity than this offense has seen in recent years? That is the question Hawkeyes’ fans have been wondering since the moment that the hire was made.

There was a sense that the offense was watered down with Brian Ferentz as the offensive coordinator the last few years with the final say ultimately coming from Kirk Ferentz. Should Iowa want to improve offensively, they may need to hand the keys off the Tim Lester to implement and run his scheme to its fullest potential.

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ESPN calls Iowa Hawkeyes’ QB situation one of the most intriguing in the nation

The quarterback situation for the Iowa Hawkeyes is murkier than some would like. That has it as one of ESPN’s most intriguing QB situations.

The quarterback that will be under center for the Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 1 is a bit murkier of an answer and not as defined as some may think or like. The Hawkeyes have a new offensive coordinator in Tim Lester, but this spring will be the first time his offense is revealed and how it is handled by whoever takes first-team reps.

Should Cade McNamara return from his ACL injury and be healthy, the job is his and the question is answered. The murkiness here comes from two significant injuries suffered by McNamara. Can he return to full health? That question puts Iowa’s QB situation among ESPN’s most intriguing.

The key newcomer isn’t a quarterback but a playcaller in Tim Lester, hired to replace Brian Ferentz. Lester, who coached Western Michigan from 2017 to 2022, last served as a college coordinator in 2015 at Syracuse. He inherits a veteran in McNamara but also a quarterback who has dealt with injuries throughout his time at Iowa and in his final season at Michigan in 2022. McNamara, limited by a quad injury during preseason camp, sustained a torn ACL in a Week 5 win against Michigan State. – Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

Be it limited health, an offense set up for failure, or what have you, Cade McNamara and the Hawkeyes did not have things going early last season. Rittenberg also points out that McNamara not only has to return after a major injury but do so while learning an entirely new offensive scheme. Should things go awry, where does Iowa turn?

Hill replaced McNamara last fall and had a solid stretch in early-to-mid November before faltering in postseason play. He would need to show significantly more consistency as a passer to unseat McNamara. The young quarterbacks are worth tracking, especially given McNamara’s injury history. Lainez had 51 rushing yards in an otherwise miserable Citrus Bowl loss to Tennessee. Resar, a high three-star prospect from Florida, provides both size and dual-threat skills to an offense that could use both at quarterback. – Rittenberg, ESPN

Although he is rostered, the likelihood of Deacon Hill returning to the helm if it is anyone aside from McNamara has to be slim. The Hawkeyes won games in spite of him, not because of him.

James Resar has attractive intangibles and could garner some interest but the buck stops there. The likelihood of Iowa trotting out a freshman quarterback don’t exist. The curious name to watch here is Marco Lainez. He is a highly touted recruit that flashed in very limited time. If he can pick up the passing game, his name is one to watch if Iowa needs to fill in an injury or hand the ball over to a reliever to figure things out.

Projected Week 1 starter: McNamara. Lester might be new, but this is still coach Kirk Ferentz’s program. McNamara will get every opportunity to secure the top job. The bigger question is whether his health holds up and, if not, whether Hill or another contender can seize the opportunity. – Rittenberg, ESPN

As much as things change, they also stay the same. This is the Iowa Hawkeyes. Kirk Ferentz is the head coach. The boat never rocks too much and drastic moves simply don’t happen. However it is spun, the job is Cade McNamara’s to lose.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ offense among CBS Sports’ biggest spring football storylines to watch

The looming question once again hang over the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s new offense is among CBS Sports’ biggest spring football storylines to watch.

New year, same question. What can the Iowa Hawkeyes do on offense?

It has been the question surrounding this team for nearly half of the last decade and remains the most significant unanswered question for this team in 2024. The new offensive coordinator Tim Lester has his work cut out for him, sure, but he may only need to get the Hawkeyes to tread water offensively to be successful.

What he can do and what head coach Kirk Ferentz lets him do is touted among CBS Sports’ biggest spring football storylines to watch for.

[Insert Iowa offense joke here]: His name is Tim Lester, and he has one of the heaviest lifts in college football this season: leveling Iowa’s offense, which has stunk out loud in recent years finishing dead last among 133 FBS teams in 2023. The 47-year-old veteran is known mostly for his six years as Western Michigan coach. The Broncos offense improved four straight seasons rising to 12th nationally in 2021. The former Western Michigan QB brings experience and capability. Nothing flashy, just like Iowa football itself. There are still minor miracles being performed in Iowa City thanks to Phil Parker’s defense. Iowa is coming off its third 10-win season since 2019. – Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports

Dodd nails it here. Lester doesn’t need to take the Hawkeyes to the top of the offensive ranks or put up gaudy numbers. The Iowa defense returns eight starters and Phil Parker is quite possibly the best defensive coordinator in all of America.

If Lester can simply bring Iowa to the middle-of-the-pack and up the scoring average just a bump, the Hawkeyes are not only looking like a competitor in the Big Ten, but have a real case to make an appearance in the inaugural expanded College Football Playoff.

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Kirk Ferentz shares how much freedom Tim Lester will have as Hawkeyes’ offensive play-caller

How much freedom will Tim Lester have to run his offense? Kirk Ferentz shared his thoughts with Iowa play-by-play voice Gary Dolphin.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have their new offensive coordinator. It’s former Western Michigan head coach and, most recently, Green Bay Packers analyst Tim Lester.

Iowa football and men’s basketball play-by-play voice Gary Dolphin shared an exclusive conversation with Lester on the Hawkeye Radio Network prior to Iowa basketball’s win over Ohio State on Friday night.

Lester shared why Iowa was the right spot for him at this point in his career.

“You know, it was between being an NFL quarterback coach and having a chance to work for coach Ferentz, which being from Chicago, a lot of my really good friends went to school here. My sister is a graduate of Iowa. She’s been a nurse for I want to say 27 years now, so I came down here to visit her.

“I came down here for graduation and I don’t know if you guys remember Matt Bowen, but I played T-ball with him and I’ve known him for a very long time. So, a lot of connections to this place and the coaching staff and everything I’ve heard about what it is to work here and be a part of this football program. That was just too great of an opportunity to pass up,” Lester said.

As Lester is tasked with fixing the nation’s worst total offense from the 2023 season, how much freedom will he really have to put his fingerprints on this Hawkeye offense?

Dolphin caught up with Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz and asked how much offensive play-calling freedom Lester would have within Ferentz’s parameters.

“I mean, it’s very similar. We’ve been here 25 years now and the parameters have been pretty much the same. There are certain things that just aren’t negotiable when you talk about offensive football. Ball security is a really big thing, and we didn’t do a great job of that this past year. Our turnover-takeaway margin was not good. Historically, when we do a good job there, we win and win a lot of games. We did win a lot of games this year, but we could’ve improved in that area and ’09 is the other exception to the rule. We were a top-10 team and didn’t really do a good job there.

“That’s one thing right there. Just having respect to our three segments involved in the game and we want to be I think mindful of what helps the defense, what hurts the defense, mindful of field position, all those kinds of things. The bottom line is there’s a lot of ways to move the ball and move the ball effectively and have regard to time of possession, some of those things. Ultimately, the game’s still about scoring more points than your opponent. We historically have played pretty well on defense. We plan to continue that. Just really excited. I think Tim’s a guy who appreciates having balance. I really think in football, modern football … I’ll say modern football, but really the last probably 40 years, unless you’re an option team, you can’t just run the ball. Unless you’re a spread team that’s going to be willing to throw the ball every snap, which has some downside to it, I think having the ability to do both is always going to be critical,” Ferentz said.

Asked what factors went into choosing Lester as his next OC, Ferentz shared the following.

“Just I think the whole process worked really well. Talked to maybe six people and really four extensively. Really my summation is all four of those guys would have been great fits here, so it was just a matter of kind of working through the process a little bit. Tim just really impressed all of us I really think with his thoughts about offense, just his personality. I think the fact that he’s been a head coach — it wasn’t a requisite — but I think it’s certainly beneficial.

“I think he really appreciates and understands just how much goes into winning a football game and how many different people and segments are involved. Feel really good about it and it’s great to get him here on campus finally. Really it times up perfectly because we’re all coming off the road from recruiting. In effect, this is our last day of being on the road if you will. We host a bunch of prospects tomorrow, so he’ll be able to meet some of those players and then next week we’ll shift our gear and start looking toward this season,” Ferentz said.

Lester is scheduled to meet with the Iowa media on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. CT. The Hawkeyes’ spring slate begins at the end of March as Iowa gears up for the 2024 college football season.

The Hawkeyes open the 2024 season against Illinois State from Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31.

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Everything Iowa OC Tim Lester said with Hawkeye Radio Network

New Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester met with Voice of the Hawkeyes, Gary Dolphin. Here’s everything Lester had to say.

After a lengthy search, Tim Lester is the person Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz chose as the Hawkeyes‘ next offensive coordinator.

Lester spent the 2023 season as an analyst with the Green Bay Packers. Before that, Lester served as Western Michigan’s head coach from 2017-22. During his run with the Broncos, Western Michigan’s offense finished as one of the nation’s top-40 scoring offenses in five of his six seasons at the helm. WMU also ranked inside the nation’s top 35 total offenses in four of his six seasons.

The Broncos were the nation’s No. 16 total offense in 2020 and the No. 12 total offense in 2021. Western Michigan averaged 41.7 points per game in 2020 to rank as the country’s No. 9 scoring offense.

Lester will meet with the Iowa media at 1:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, but he joined the Voice of the Hawkeyes, Gary Dolphin, for an exclusive interview beforehand.

For those that want to listen, here’s everything Lester had to say with Dolphin on the “Fight For Iowa” podcast about taking over as Iowa’s new offensive coordinator. Lester’s full remarks are also included below.

Kirk Ferentz comments on hiring of Hawkeyes’ new offensive coordinator Tim Lester

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz has his guy. Ferentz commented on the hiring of former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester as OC.

The search for a new offensive coordinator is finally officially over. The Hawkeyes announced on Wednesday their official successor to Brian Ferentz in former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester.

Lester served as head coach at Western Michigan University for six seasons (2017-22), during which time the Broncos won 37 games and appeared in three bowl games. WMU’s offense was ranked in the top 35 nationally in total offense four consecutive seasons (2018-21) with Lester serving as the primary offensive play caller for three years (2018-20). Most recently this year, Lester served as a senior analyst for the Green Bay Packers.

During his time with the Broncos and previously as quarterbacks coach for Purdue, Lester has mentored some pretty good quarterbacks. In 2020, WMU ranked 16th nationally in total offense, while quarterback Kaleb Eleby finished third in the nation in passer rating. With the Boilermakers, he worked with quarterback David Blough, mentoring him to 3,352 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in the 2016 season.

“When you have coached at every level of football like I have, you have a true appreciation for an opportunity like this at the University of Iowa. I know the tradition and history of the Hawkeye program, and I am excited to get to work with the outstanding players and coaches,” Lester said of joining the Hawkeyes.

When you’ve been doing this as long as Kirk Ferentz has, and you’re looking to continue winning now, experience is always going to be at a premium. Lester has been a fixture of the coaching world for a while now. Lester comes to Iowa City with 22 years of coaching experience, including 12 years as a head coach at the Division I, II and III levels, and 12 years as an offensive coordinator.

“I am excited to welcome Tim to our coaching staff as our offensive coordinator,” Ferentz said. “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.”

The response from Iowa fans to the hire has ranged from hopeful to flat-out disgusted. Many were hoping for a flashier OC hire who could bring a different philosophy to the team, or even someone with a bit more pedigree in the schools they coached for.

Western Michigan is certainly not Big Ten football, and Lester’s last stint in the Power Five as a play-caller with Syracuse did not go well. Many were hopeful that it would be Kevin Johns instead, who actually served under Lester as his OC in 2017.

While the fan base is divided over the hiring, it is clear that Kirk Ferentz believes that he has his guy.

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REPORT: Iowa to name Tim Lester as offensive coordinator

The Iowa Hawkeyes search for an offensive coordinator has reportadly come to a conclusion.

Iowa’s long search for their next offensive coordinator appears to be reaching its conclusion.

On Sunday, it was reported by Football Scoop that the Hawkeyes would be naming Green Bay Packers’ analyst and former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester as the program’s offensive coordinator.

Lester will be in charge of trying to transform an Iowa offense that averaged just 15.4 points per game in 2023 under offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz.

Lester spent the 2017 through 2022 seasons as the head coach at Western Michigan where he replaced current Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck. During his six seasons with Western Michigan, Lester led the Broncos to a 37-32 record including 26-20 in conference play.

He was fired as the Broncos head coach following the 2022 season after the program finished with their first losing record of his tenure.

Lester has also spent time at the FBS level with Syracuse (2013-2015) and Purdue (2016). In his last stint as an offensive coordinator for Syracuse in 2015, the Oranges’ offense averaged 27.2 points per game.

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Social media reacts to news that Iowa is hiring Tim Lester as its next OC

Iowa has its new offensive coordinator in former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester. Social media reacted to the Hawkeyes’ hire.

After 90 days had elapsed since Beth Goetz announced Brian Ferentz wouldn’t return as the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator in 2024, Iowa finally has its next offensive coordinator.

Former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester is set to take over the reins of the Hawkeyes’ offense. Lester spent the 2023 season with the Green Bay Packers as a senior analyst.

During his tenure as Western Michigan’s head coach, the Broncos’ offense finished as one of the nation’s top 40 scoring offenses in five of his six seasons at the helm. WMU also ranked inside the nation’s top 35 total offenses in four of his six seasons.

The Broncos were the nation’s No. 16 total offense in 2020 and the No. 12 total offense in 2021. Western Michigan averaged 41.7 points per game in 2020 to rank as the country’s No. 9 scoring offense.

Lester’s final season at Western Michigan looked more like what Iowa fans have seen the last three seasons in Iowa City. The Broncos finished with the 118th-ranked scoring offense and the No. 124 total offense. Lester was fired after the Broncos’ 5-7 finish that season.

Lester’s offense figures to bring plenty of run-pass-option principles to the Hawkeyes. That part should excited Iowa fans.

As the search wound down, it felt like a two-horse race between Lester and former Duke offensive coordinator Kevin Johns.

Naturally, with a decision as paramount as this one is for the future of the program, social media had plenty of opinions on the hire that Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz is making.

Packers losing senior analyst Tim Lester to Iowa

The Packers are losing senior analyst Tim Lester off Matt LaFleur’s coaching staff.

The Green Bay Packers are expected to lose senior analyst Tim Lester to the University of Iowa. According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Iowa is hiring Lester to be the school’s new offensive coordinator.

Lester, who was previously the head coach at Western Michigan, spent one season in Green Bay. He was an analyst for Matt LaFleur on the defensive side of the ball.

LaFleur and Lester were teammates together at Western Michigan in 1998 and 1999.

At Iowa, Lester will replace Brian Ferentz as offensive coordinator. The Hawkeyes finished last season ranked last in yards per game by over 17 yards (235.4).

Lester assisted with the defense in Green Bay, but his specialty is on the offensive side. He was a prolific college quarterback at Western Michigan, and his coaching background is based mostly with coordinating offense and overseeing quarterbacks.

The Packers are making big changes on defense. Coordinator Joe Barry was let go earlier this week and the search is on to find his replacement.

WATCH: What James Franklin had to say at a football camp in Michigan

James Franklin attends a massive football camp in Michigan with Jim Harbaugh and PJ Fleck

Football camp season is upon us, and Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] is once again embracing the opportunity to get out and connect with high school players from around the Big Ten footprint. On Thursday, Franklin attended the Michigan Football Showcase at Ferris State University. He wasn’t the only Big Ten coach in attendance either.

Franklin was one of four FBS coaches on hand for the event. The others were Michigan head coach [autotag]Jim Harbaugh[/autotag], Minnesota head coach [autotag]PJ Fleck[/autotag], and Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester. Nearly 500 high school football players attended the event. Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain was also reportedly in attendance according to Ferris State. Franklin will square off against three of those coaches this upcoming season (Fleck, Harbaugh, and McElwain).

Franklin took time at the microphone to address the importance of high school players maximizing what they get out of the college experience. Franklin said he gets annoyed hearing some high school recruits say they will be attending a college for the next three years, with the expectation they are going to go straight to the NFL after that. Franklin hopes the message resonates, and perhaps leads to some potential recruiting opportunities for Penn State down the line.

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