The University of Iowa has concluded its nearly three-month-long search for an offensive coordinator with the hiring of former Purdue quarterbacks coach Tim Lester, according to two sources familiar with the hiring process. Lester will be stepping into the role previously held by Brian Ferentz, son of head coach Kirk Ferentz, concluding an extensive search to revamp the Hawkeyes’ offensive strategy.
Lester spent the 2015 season at Purdue where he coached David Blough and helped the Boilermakers average 294.9 passing yards per game. That was good enough to place the Purdue offense as the 21st best offense in the country in terms of passing yards per game. Despite this, Lester had his tenure cut short when Purdue hired Jeff Brohm following the 2015 season and he was let go.
Tim Lester Brings Experience
Lester than spent six seasons as the head coach at Western Michigan with a head coaching record of 32-27 from 2017 to 2022. He served as a senior analyst for the Green Bay Packers during the 2023 season. This reunited him with Green Bay head coach and former college teammate, Matt LaFleur.
Lester had been set to take a coordinator role at Troy under new coach Gerad Parker, according to a reporting from ESPN, before accepting the offer from Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was awarded the job over fellow candidate Kevin Johns, the former Duke offensive coordinator. The top choice for the job, former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst, declined the position in mid-January, paving the way for Lester.
Iowa’s decision to bring in Lester comes on the heels of a challenging 2023 season where the Hawkeyes ranked last in the FBS, managing only 234.6 yards per game on offense. The offensive struggles of the Hawkeyes in 2023 prompted the need for a change. The hope is that Lester’s offensive knowledge will breathe a breath of fresh air into the Iowa offense.