According to 247Sports, Iowa is poised to bring in Tim Lester, a former Green Bay Packers analyst and coach of Western Michigan, as their new offensive coordinator. Lester will be taking over the position previously held by Brian Ferentz, who recently parted ways with the team due to subpar offensive production.

Lester, who had a 37-32 record in his six seasons as head coach at Western Michigan, has a strong track record of leading productive offenses. Under his guidance, the Broncos boasted a high-powered offense in 2020, tying for ninth in the FBS with an average of 41.7 points per game. Lester's experience also includes head coaching stints at Elmhurst and St. Joseph's.

Having served as an analyst for the Green Bay Packers, Lester had the opportunity to reunite with Packers coach Matt LeFleur, with whom he was teammates at Western Michigan in the late 1990s. The Packers reached the divisional round of the NFC playoffs before falling to the San Francisco 49ers.

Lester, a former quarterback who passed for over 11,000 yards during his playing career at Western Michigan, faces the challenge of rejuvenating the Iowa offense, which has struggled in recent seasons under Ferentz's watch. In 2022, the Hawkeyes finished second-to-last in scoring in the FBS, averaging just 17.7 points per game. Their performance worsened in 2023, with an average of only 15.4 points per game.

The lack of offensive production in 2022 resulted in contract amendments for Ferentz, including a requirement to average 25 points per game in 2023 for his contract to be renewed. However, he fell well short of this goal, leading to the decision for him not to return in 2024. Despite the offensive struggles, Iowa had a successful season, winning 10 games and claiming the Big Ten West title. Their campaign ended with a loss in the Big Ten Championship to Michigan and a defeat in the Citrus Bowl to Tennessee.

This will be Lester's second stint as an offensive coordinator at a power conference school, having previously served in the same role at Syracuse from 2014 to 2015. With his experience and track record of leading productive offenses, Iowa fans will be hopeful that Lester can inject new life into their struggling offense and help the team excel in the competitive Big Ten conference.