The Iowa Hawkeyes are set to rent Tim Lester, the previous Western Michigan head coach who spent 2023 as a Inexperienced Bay Packers analyst, as their offensive coordinator, sources informed ESPN on Sunday.
Lester, 46, had been set to take a coordinator position at Troy underneath new coach Gerad Parker, sources informed ESPN, however he’ll as an alternative substitute Brian Ferentz, the son of longtime Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz.
Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz, who supervised Brian Ferentz due to nepotism insurance policies, introduced in late October that Ferentz wouldn’t return in 2024. Iowa’s offense has tumbled to historic lows the previous two years regardless of the staff’s total success, and it ranked final nationally in complete offense and subsequent to final in scoring offense in 2023.
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Kirk Ferentz, the nation’s longest-tenured coach, has by no means fired a coordinator in his tenure, which started in 1999. Lester will probably be solely his fourth offensive coordinator, following Ken O’Keefe, Greg Davis and Brian Ferentz.
Iowa additionally strongly thought-about Kevin Johns, who most lately was the offensive coordinator at Duke.
Lester, a record-setting quarterback at Western Michigan, went 37-32 with three bowl appearances at his alma mater earlier than being fired after the 2022 season. He final served as an offensive coordinator with Syracuse in 2015 and coached Purdue’s quarterbacks in 2016.
Iowa’s offense will return a number of gamers from harm, together with standout tight finish Luke Lachey and quarterback Cade McNamara, who began the primary month of the season earlier than sustaining a torn ACL.
