Packers senior analyst Tim Lester heading to Iowa to be Hawkeyes' new offensive coordinator

Tim Lester got reacquainted with his former college teammate Matt LaFleur in 2023 when he joined the Green Bay Packers staff.

He got to be around the Packers' offensive-minded coach and see a young offense flourish led by Jordan Love and a young crop of pass catchers fresh out of college blossom.

Now, Lester is heading back to the college game with a big challenge on his hands. He is set to be Iowa's next offensive coordinator, as reported by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and confirmed by the Des Moines Register.

At Iowa, Lester will be tasked with revitalizing one of the nation's worst offenses in recent years.

Here's what we know.

Who is Tim Lester? What to know about coaching career at Western Michigan

Lester has been in the coaching ranks at all levels, from high school to college to most recently in the NFL.

Before coming to Green Bay, he was the head coach at Western Michigan, his alma mater. The Wheaton, Illinois, native took over for P.J. Fleck in 2017, after he left to become the head coach at Minnesota.

Lester knew the Broncos well. He was a four-year starting quarterback at Western Michigan and rewrote the passing record books. He's still ranked third all-time in passing yards and has four of the top 19 passing seasons in Western Michigan history. After his final season in 1999, he was ranked fourth all-time in passing yards and sixth in TD passes in NCAA FBS history.

The 2011 inductee to the Western Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame coached the Broncos for six seasons and finished with a 37-32 record. The best season came in 2021 when the Broncos finished 8-5. In 2020 and 2021, Western Michigan was ranked in the top 10 for scoring offense.

But after a 5-7 record in 2022, he was fired.

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Tim Lester spent one season with Matt LaFleur, Packers

Lester's time at 1265 Lombardi Ave. was short but it kept him in the coaching game. LaFleur hired him to be a senior analyst in March 2023.

LaFleur and Lester had a connection from their college days. The two were teammates at Western Michigan for two seasons, in 1998 and 1999. LaFleur was a wide receiver at Western Michigan those seasons during Lester's final two years.

LaFleur transferred from Western Michigan to Division II Saginaw Valley State, where he switched to quarterback and played from 2000 to 2002.

Iowa's offense in need of help following dismissal of Brian Ferentz

Lester will come to Iowa City looking to elevate the team's offense out of the doldrums of not only the Big Ten but all of college football.

Iowa's total offense last season (234.6 yards per game) and yards per play (3.94) were last for all Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Only two teams in the FBS had fewer offensive touchdowns than Iowa in 2023. And its 15.4 points per game were second-last only to Kent State.

These putrid numbers came after scoring just 17.7 points per game in 2022 (123rd in FBS) and its 251.6 yards per game were second-last.

Heading into 2023, then-offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, son of longtime head coach Kirk Ferentz, was put on notice. If his offense didn't average at least 25 points a game, he would be out. With the Hawkeyes' offense struggling mightily again, Brian Ferentz was told midway through the season by Iowa's interim athletic director that he wouldn't return in 2024.

And while Iowa finished the regular season winning seven of eight games, including a victory over Wisconsin, the Hawkeyes ended the season being shut out in the Big Ten title game and in their bowl game by a combined 61-0.

Lester will coach former Badgers quarterback Deacon Hill, who started the final nine games for the Hawkeyes following a season-ending injury to Cade McNamara.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Iowa's new offensive coordinator Tim Lester has Packers connection