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Did Kirk Ferentz Hire Iowa OC Tim Lester Out of Spite?

Kirk Ferentz’s Offensive Changes May Be Superficial at Best for Iowa

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Sep 18
Sep 18

By Rock Westfall 

Iowa Fans Underwhelmed By New OC Tim Lester 

On October 30, 2023, the Iowa Hawkeyes announced that then-interim and now-permanent athletic director Beth Goetz fired offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz effective at season’s end.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz, father of Brian, was in his 25th season leading the program. He had become used to not having to answer to anyone, as best evidenced by his working with previous AD Gary Barta to skirt around the state’s nepotism laws for University of Iowa employees. Thus, the firing of his son came as a shocking wakeup call.

Ferentz was public about his disappointment in the decision. There was no doubt that he vehemently disagreed with it. Never had Ferentz been so publicly embarrassed or reprimanded. It’s highly unlikely he will ever forgive or forget, regardless of the necessary facades.

But at the end of January, he may have exacted some revenge. Ferentz hired Tim Lester as Brian’s replacement. Lester’s resume is a mixed bag. Iowa fans are underwhelmed, but they should not be surprised.

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In 2023, Tim Lester was a senior analyst for his buddy and former Western Michigan teammate Matt LaFleur, head coach of the Green Bay Packers. That job came on the heels of Lester getting fired by his alma mater after six seasons as head coach.

Lester’s only losing season at Western Michigan was his last one (2022). His overall record was 37-32, with the fourth-best win percentage in school history. Lester led the Broncos to three bowl games.

Previously, Lester had a wealth of experience as an offensive coach, coordinator, and QB coach with numerous programs.

In his first offensive coordinator gig at Syracuse, his units were among the worst in the nation in 2014 and 2015. With the firing of his boss, Scott Shafer, Lester was out of a job.

He landed at Purdue in 2016, where he had far greater success as the QB coach for David Blough. Purdue boasted the nation’s 21st-ranked passing attack. But Lester was out after one season due to a head coaching change.

Lester was hired as Western Michigan HC in 2017 after PJ Fleck led the Broncos to their epic 13-1 record in 2016 that ended with a Cotton Bowl berth. The Minnesota Golden Gophers hired Fleck away, and Western turned to its favorite son.

Lester had prolific offenses in his first few seasons at Western Michigan. But after giving up the play-calling duties, the roof caved in with a 5-7 record in 2022. Lester’s final Western Michigan team had an embarrassingly bad offense. Then-first-year athletic director Dan Bartholomae did not hire Lester and had an itchy trigger finger. Lester was fired after that lone losing season.

Ferentz Lays Down the Law to Lester and His AD

At the announcement of Lester’s hire as offensive coordinator, Ferentz said that while he is open to all ideas, certain things were non-negotiable. Iowa will remain a program dedicated to complimentary football, tying together offense, defense, and kicking teams. There would be the traditional Iowa mantra of eliminating mistakes and turnovers. And the Hawkeyes recruit with that in mind. 

Thus, Lester offers different looks and wrinkles on the same Kirk Ferentz offense and playbook. To be fair, this system has brought Iowa consistent success.  

There is nowhere to go but up for Iowa’s rock-bottom offense, and Lester is a marginally more accomplished coach than Brian Ferentz. But there is only so far the metrics can rise without a radical change of the offensive style itself. If Lester can merely improve the offense to average, Iowa will be a much more viable threat against top competition.  

Most important of all, if QB Cade McNamara returns to 100% health and works well with Lester, there could be enough improvement to make a difference. McNamara was a 2021 College Football Playoff QB for the Michigan Wolverines in his only season as a starter. 

After transferring to Iowa, he missed last season with an injury. McNamara is an experienced game manager, which is what Iowa is looking for. Lester offers a wealth of experience that could bring the most out of McNamara.

Iowa recruiting improved from 40th to 30th this year after finishing 32nd in 2022 and 22nd in 2021. That was good enough to contend for Big Ten West Division titles. But with the end of division play and a single league format, Iowa will struggle to be more than what it always was: a solid bowl program that is capable of the occasional big upset win. 

Political Theatre – Does Anything Really Change?

Beth Goetz showed courage in firing Brian Ferentz after his abysmal offense was impossible to justify. That move helped solidify her efforts to get the interim AD tag removed. But Kirk Ferentz showed his new boss that he would continue to run the football program his way. Regardless of who calls the plays, it’s the Kirk Ferentz offense, program, and final results.

If Goetz expected a full remodel, she is now disappointed to find a new carpet that is the exact design of the old one. It’s fair to wonder if Kirk Ferentz is smiling. 

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