(Iowa City, IA) – After a long wait, Iowa has officially named Tim Lester as the new offensive coordinator for the Hawkeyes. The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon by Head Coach Kirk Ferentz.
Lester brings 22 years of football experience with him to the University of Iowa, including the most recent stint with the Green Bay Packers as a senior analyst. He has coached at the Divison I, II, and III levels, including 12 of the 22 years as an offensive coordinator. In his time with the Packers, Green Bay won nine regular season games, a playoff berth, and beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 2024 NFC Wild Card game, defying multiple expectations.
At the collegiate level, he served as a head coach at Western Michigan University where they appeared in three bowl games during his six-year tenure from 2017-2022. He helped bring the offense to one of the best in the nation, ranking in the top 35 nationally for four consecutive seasons. The Broncos were ranked 16th nationally in total offense with quarterback Kaleb Eleby as third in the nation in passer rating.
Lester was a former quarterback at Western Michigan from 1996-99 where he led the Broncos to a MAC Conference Championship appearance in his senior season. When he graduated, he was fourth in FBS history with 11,299 passing yards, sixth in touchdown passes with 89, and set 17 passing records at Western Michigan and eight in the conference.
Hawkeye Head Coach Kirk Ferentz said, “I am excited to welcome Tim to our coaching staff as our offensive coordinator. 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 will join the Hawkeyes for the 2024 season, taking over one of the lowest-scoring offenses in FBS football that averaged just 18 points per game.