Wheaton’s Lester ready to take reins of University of Iowa offense
For a person who set eight Mid-American Conference passing records and ranked fourth all-time in Football Bowl Subdivision passing yardage when he graduated, Tim Lester sure likes the ground game.
It’s a big reason the former Wheaton Warrenville South and Western Michigan University star quarterback looked to the University of Iowa to continue his coaching career.
Lester was hired Jan. 31 as the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator under head coach Kirk Ferentz, the nation’s longest-tenured head football coach in his 26th season.
“Everywhere I’ve been we’ve started with the run, and the pass game is real easy to build once you have a run game,” said Lester, 47.
“Obviously that hits the DNA of Iowa football,” he said, “and we’ve always done a good job of being able to run the football, so that’s the exiting part about having a chance to take over as the offensive coordinator here because they have such a rich history in being able to run the ball.”
Other reasons include Lester’s respect for Ferentz, and a local angle. Illinoisans are by far the university’s second-largest contingent following in-state students. Lester’s sister, Cori, graduated from Iowa.
Tim Lester’s assignment is to bulk up a Hawkeyes offense whose 15.4 points a game in 2023 ranked next to last among the 133 FBS teams. Iowa’s 235 yards a game ranked last.
Iowa (10-4, 7-3 Big Ten West) won its division and earned a final Associated Press No. 24 ranking on the strength of a defense that allowed 14.8 points a game, fourth in the FBS behind Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.
Brian Ferentz, the head coach’s son and Iowa’s seven-year offensive coordinator, was not retained after Iowa’s 35-0 loss to No. 21 Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
“During the hiring phase, I certainly knew of Tim and was aware of his background, especially at Western Michigan. As I did a little research, (I) learned a lot about the wide range of experiences that he had … his story basically. I know I felt good about it, was very impressed,” Kirk Ferentz said in an email to the Daily Herald.
“In my mind he's a good fit for us, and that's first and foremost. Similar in a lot of ways to the way we have operated, yet a lot of different perspectives, too, new perspectives. That's part of moving forward, obviously getting different ideas, different views, and trying to implement them in a way that we all believe will work for us,” Ferentz said.
Lester was in the opening stage of installing his offense during Iowa’s spring football period. He was still in the process of judging the strengths of the Hawkeyes roster, though, for a fan of the 12 Personnel approach — one back, two tight ends — Lester was heartened to see 14 tight ends on the roster.
A man who has spent half his 24-year coaching career as a head coach in Division I (Western Michigan University), Division II (St. Joseph’s College, Indiana) and Division III (Elmhurst College), Lester savors being able to simply “coach ball” without the administrative responsibilities inherent of a head coach.
Last football season Lester worked as an analyst for the Green Bay Packers, which gave him the opportunity to rekindle his relationship with receiver Jayden Reed. While at Western Michigan, Lester recruited Reed out of Naperville Central, and Reed became a Football Writers’ Freshman All-American before transferring to Michigan State.
Lester worked on the defensive side of the ball for the Packers, essentially serving as offensive coordinator of the scout team, the opponent the Packers would be facing in a given week.
Most of Lester’s coaching has come on offense, starting in high school at Wheaton Warrenville South in 2000 and advancing to coordinator and/or quarterbacks coach at Syracuse and Purdue.
One of his favorite jobs came in 2007 for his former high school head coach, John Thorne, who at North Central College had started a run of eight straight College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin football titles.
Lester, after spending the prior three seasons at St. Joseph’s and an initial year at Western Michigan as quarterbacks coach, wanted to come back home as his father, Fred, was ailing. He’s since passed.
“He hired me,” Lester said of Thorne, “and I was his defensive coordinator. And it was probably one of the greatest things that ever happened to me, to have to run the other side of the ball.
“I’m still an offensive guy, I always have been, always will be, but having the opportunity to be a defensive coordinator for a year of my life was a really cool experience, to see how the other side looks at things.”
Thorne’s tutelage at WW South and North Central College is among many perspectives Lester brings to Iowa.
“He’s had a lot of jobs in coaching, so he’s learned from lots of different mentors over the years,” Thorne said.
“He’s definitely gathered a lot of knowledge from very different places where he’s been to, to read defenses and things like that. Hopefully it’s going to be a very successful stint with Tim at Iowa,” Thorne said.
Lester’s mother, Pat, lives in Warrenville. His sister, Cori, has worked 28 years at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital.
Lester’s wife, Dawn, and their children Cooper, Carter and Camden won’t leave Michigan for Iowa City until the boys are done with school this spring. Lester also has a son from a prior relationship, Quinn Isaacson, a setter on the USA Volleyball Men’s National Team.
“I’ve still got the 630 area code, I’m a proud Western suburbs guy. I still try to follow as much as I can,” Lester said.
“I could tell you last year being in the NFL I did not follow much of anything, but now that I’m back in college I’m back to figuring out who’s good and how things are going with football in the West suburbs. Some of my greatest memories have happened on all the fields around (there). It’s a special place.”
.