Social media reacts to news that Iowa is hiring Tim Lester as its next OC
After 90 days had elapsed since Beth Goetz announced Brian Ferentz wouldn’t return as the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator in 2024, Iowa finally has its next offensive coordinator.
Former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester is set to take over the reins of the Hawkeyes’ offense. Lester spent the 2023 season with the Green Bay Packers as a senior analyst.
During his tenure as Western Michigan’s head coach, the Broncos’ offense finished as one of the nation’s top 40 scoring offenses in five of his six seasons at the helm. WMU also ranked inside the nation’s top 35 total offenses in four of his six seasons.
The Broncos were the nation’s No. 16 total offense in 2020 and the No. 12 total offense in 2021. Western Michigan averaged 41.7 points per game in 2020 to rank as the country’s No. 9 scoring offense.
Lester’s final season at Western Michigan looked more like what Iowa fans have seen the last three seasons in Iowa City. The Broncos finished with the 118th-ranked scoring offense and the No. 124 total offense. Lester was fired after the Broncos’ 5-7 finish that season.
Lester’s offense figures to bring plenty of run-pass-option principles to the Hawkeyes. That part should excited Iowa fans.
As the search wound down, it felt like a two-horse race between Lester and former Duke offensive coordinator Kevin Johns.
Naturally, with a decision as paramount as this one is for the future of the program, social media had plenty of opinions on the hire that Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz is making.
Got our guy
We’ve got our guy 🔥
Iowa has hired Tim Lester to become the next OC for the Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/9aFdruKQ01
— Barstool Iowa (@BarstoolUIowa) January 28, 2024
Kirk Ferentz's comments about Tim Lester last fall
Kirk Ferentz has had a lot of respect for Tim Lester.
Mentioned him on his radio show ahead of the 2023 game against Western Michigan (year after Lester was fired): #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/4IXejMlG8I
— John Steppe (@JSteppe1) January 28, 2024
Take a look Hawkeye fans
Iowa fans should watch this before losing their minds at hiring Tim Lester.
They won’t, but they should. https://t.co/9JEEl4G4cN
— Quinn Douglas (@Quinn_Douglas_) January 28, 2024
A look at a Tim Lester offense
The Tim Lester Offense. If we don’t see any of this, we know why pic.twitter.com/Uq1IG8Qfi6
— Bears Barade (@BearsBarade) January 28, 2024
Coach Don Patterson stamp of approval
I spoke briefly with Don Patterson today and he mentioned a coach/friend of his that worked previously with Tim Lester and Don says his friend speaks very highly of Lester as a coach and person. Hopefully, this works out for @HawkeyeFootball.
— Pat Harty (@PatHarty) January 28, 2024
That 2022 season ... oof
Tim Lester’s final year as HC at Western Michigan in 2022, offensive ranks (out of 131 FBS teams):
• 16.7 PPG (122nd)
• 297.0 YPG (121st)Lester’s final year as OC at Syracuse (2015, out of 128 FBS teams):
• 25.5 PPG (80th)
• 310.3 YPG (117th)A peculiar hire for Iowa.
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) January 28, 2024
You will be praised
Bring me a 30th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes offense and throw rose petals at your feet, Tim Lester..
— 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 (@ChinLovesIowa) January 28, 2024
Classic Kirk
I am pretty sure every Iowa media member that expressed a preference/opinion on the hire said they preferred Kevin Johns. The overwhelming majority of the fan base wanted Kevin Johns. In classic KF fashion, he hires the other guy
— Hawkeye Recruiting (@Iowa_Recruiting) January 28, 2024
Very solid to good
Tim Lester was a very solid to good hire for Iowa. He's going to modernize the passing game and runs more shotgun/pistol formations with nice run designs that set up a vertical/downfield passing game.
I really like his prostyle offense. More of a Shanahan/McVay style.
— Otto (@hawkeyeram4life) January 28, 2024
What we're all looking for
Honestly, if Tim Lester can just get the most out of these Iowa tight ends that continue to be some of the best weapons in the NFL and get the running game in order, I’ll be happy.
— Jerry Scherwin (@surewin33) January 29, 2024
Or at least more positively received
If the name Kevin Johns never got brought up, Tim Lester would be most peoples top pick. In my opinion it’s a good hire, just not a home run.
— hawkeye_reggie (@hawkeye_reggie) January 28, 2024
By the numbers at Western Michigan
Tim Lester at WMU
2017 – 389 YPG 34.3 PPG
2018 – 436 YPG 32 PPG
2019 – 445 YPG 33.1 PPG
2020 – 479 YPG 41.7 PPG
2021 – 467 YPG 32.5 PPG
2022 – 301 YPG 19 PPG pic.twitter.com/XhS3dFlf0m— Bears Barade (@BearsBarade) January 28, 2024
Tim Lester offense rankings at WMU:
2022: 119
2021: 12
2020: 16
2019: 25
2018: 35
2017: 78— KeegHim (@KeegansBurner) January 28, 2024
The fan cycle begins ... NOW
We are going to witness the full Twitter Iowa football fan cycle for Tim Lester over the course of the next few months.
People will complain now, then slowly as a few exciting things get dropped, every anti-Lester tweet will be ratio’d, Kinnick will be sold out in July
— dave (@IowaHoopsDave) January 28, 2024
Maybe it doesn't matter as much as some think?
I’m going to try not to get too worked up about Iowa hiring Tim Lester as OC because I really don’t think it matters. This is Kirk’s offense. Always has been.
— Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) January 28, 2024
Is that right?
SOURCES: Tim Lester separated himself from Johns in his interview by simply answering “Deacon Hill was a great quarterback” or “I can’t believe she fired your son” to every question
— Black Heart Gold Pain (@BHGP) January 28, 2024
Maybe this was the mixup
Guys, they hired Tim Lester not Tim Brewster. Settle down.
— Justin VanLaere ▶ (@storminspank) January 28, 2024
Tim is HIM
Personally I think it’s a great hire. It’s not the flashy choice but what is with Iowa these days
We literally were at ROCK BOTTOM offense last season. It can’t get much worse
Until I see other wise, TIM IS HIM
— Barstool Iowa (@BarstoolUIowa) January 28, 2024
Kirk teaching us all a lesson
iowa took four months to make THAT hire?
— Lucy Rohden (@lucy_rohden) January 28, 2024
i feel like kirk ferentz is trying to teach iowa a lesson for firing brian
— Lucy Rohden (@lucy_rohden) January 28, 2024
The bet lives on?
at least i still have the iowa under *sobs uncontrollably*
— Lucy Rohden (@lucy_rohden) January 28, 2024
And this is true
Deacon Hill was headed to Fordham before Iowa
Tim Lester was headed to Troy before Iowa
— FullbackU (@u_fullback) January 28, 2024
For any of the Troy remarks
People are making way too big a deal about Tim Lester skipping out on Troy to come to Iowa.
Troy has won 10+ games in 5 of the last 8 years. They don’t hire dumpster garbage for coaches and win those games.
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) January 28, 2024
Done
I am done with Kirk Ferentz.
— Rick Webster (@TheRickWebster) January 28, 2024
How could we forget??
What no one's talking about is that Iowa's new OC, Tim Lester, is a former XFL player!
He started at QB for the Chicago Enforcers for 4 games in 2001 while working part time as a math teacher. pic.twitter.com/qnfcTautlW
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) January 28, 2024
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