Lester had top 40 scoring offense in 5 of 6 seasons at WMU

[BigAssTurkeyLeg]

The only stat I’ve seen about him that is positive at all.

Fwiw, his senior analyst position at Green Bay wasn’t even for offense last year. He spent most of his time working with the defense last year 😂😂🥴

 

[Bank of Hawk]

Better than Brian 🤷

 

[jhawk23]

Chad pointed out that he mostly faced atrocious defenses during those seasons

 

[Fan In Black]

The only stat I’ve seen about him that is positive at all.

Fwiw, his senior analyst position at Green Bay wasn’t even for offense last year. He spent most of his time working with the defense last year 😂😂🥴

and he was teammates with LaFluer at WMU. So it was more who you know than what you know there.

 

[Zooropa_NCR]

Didn’t he have to vacate a lot of wins during that run ?

 

[Rambler Hawk]

Better than Brian 🤷

sounds like a toss up / taffy pull!

 

[WEH8ST8HAWK]

Chad pointed out that he mostly faced atrocious defenses during those seasons

He also had far worse players than he will have here.

 

[BigAssTurkeyLeg]

He also had far worse players than he will have here.

You sure?

 

[Birky]

The only stat I’ve seen about him that is positive at all.

Fwiw, his senior analyst position at Green Bay wasn’t even for offense last year. He spent most of his time working with the defense last year 😂😂🥴

That only stat seems like a pretty important one. You could make a case that it’s the only that matters.

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

Fwiw, his senior analyst position at Green Bay wasn’t even for offense last year. He spent most of his time working with the defense last year

So, a guy who hadn't coached defense since 2007 at Div III level got a job as a "senior analyst" for an NFL team, where he spent most of his time working with the defense....

Well, that confirms my suspicion that NFL jobs like senior analyst, quality control, etc., are just made up and something for unemployed coaches to put on their resume and allow them to feed their families until they can get a real job. Must be nice being part of the good 'ole boys club...

 

[BigAssTurkeyLeg]

So, a guy who hadn't coached defense since 2007 at Div III level got a job as a "senior analyst" for an NFL team, where he spent most of his time working with the defense....

Well, that confirms my suspicion that NFL jobs like senior analyst, quality control, etc., are just made up and something for unemployed coaches to put on their resume and allow them to feed their families until they can get a real job. Must be nice being part of the good 'ole boys club...

Yeah, Matt LeFleur and him were teammates in college at WMU. Was definitely a stop gap job for Lester after he was fired so he wouldn’t be unemployed

 

[BigAssTurkeyLeg]

That only stat seems like a pretty important one. You could make a case that it’s the only that matters.

Any evidence that Lester was involved in the offense at all? His OC from those days moved to the NFL and his system was a lot different than what Lester ran at Syracuse.

 

[GunnerHawk]

Chad pointed out that he mostly faced atrocious defenses during those seasons

He's a fricking pencil neck who never played the game. WTF does he know?

 

[funnyfletcher]

Chad pointed out that he mostly faced atrocious defenses during those seasons

I was curious to see if W. Michigan and Iowa had any similar opponents while Lester was HC and they had 5
2017 vs Michigan State Iowa L 10-17/W. Mich L 14-28
2018 vs N. Illinois Iowa W 33-7/W. Mich W 28-21
2019 vs Miami OH Iowa W 38-14/W. Mich W 38-16
2021 vs Michigan Iowa L 3-42/W. Mich L 14-47
2021 vs Kent State Iowa W 30-7/W. Mich W 64-31

Offensive Stats for those games
2017 MSU
Iowa Passing: 32-17-207-0-0 53.1% Rushing: 25-19-1 0.8 Total: 57-226-1 4.0 2 turnovers
W. Mich Passing: 27-12-79-0-1 44.4% Rushing: 36-116-0 3.2 Total: 63-195-0 3.1 1 turnover

2018 N. Ill
Iowa 25-13-143-1-1 52% 48-209-3 4.4 73-352-4 4.8 1 TO
W. Mich 35-19-285-0-0 54.7% 46-94-3 2.0 81-379-3 4.7 1 TO

2019 Miami OH
Iowa 30-21-252-3-0 70% 41-231-2 5.2 71-465-5 6.5 1 TO
W. Mich 25-15-137-2-1 60% 40-173-2 4.3 65-310-4 4.8 1 TO

2021 Michigan
Iowa 38-19-175-0-1 50% 33-104-0 3.2 71-279-0 3.9 1 TO
W. Mich 37-20-191-1-0 54.1% 32-119-1 3.7 69-310-2 4.5 0 TO

2021 Kent State
Iowa 37-26-212-1-0 70.3% 38-206-3 5.4 75-418-4 5.6 1 TO
W. Mich 22-15-307-3-0 68.2% 51-341-5 6.7 73-648-8 8.9 0 TO

 

[jdv77]

I understand the angst, but I wish people would take a fair look at the hire before rushing to judgment.

1. Tim Lester understands how to play QB. He was a 4 year starter at WMU, passing for over 11,000 yards and 87 touchdowns.

2. If you want to judge his head coaching tenure at WMU, look at all of his seasons there rather than only the last one.
2017: 33.9 ppg (27th nationally). 389.6 ypg. 164.8 passing ypg. 224.8 rushing ypg.
2018: 32.0 ppg (40th nationally). 438.4 ypg. 238.5 passing ypg. 199.8 rushing ypg.
2019: 33.1 ppg (33rd nationally). 445.7 ypg 240.6 passing ypg. 205.1 rushing ypg.
2020: 41.7 ppg (10th nationally. 479.7 ypg. 283.7 passing ypg. 195.8 rushing ypg.
2021: 32.5 ppg (34th nationally). 467.2 ypg. 253.6 passing ypg. 213.5 rushing ypg.
2022: 19.0 ppg (119th nationally). 301.9 ypg. 165.8 passing ypg. 136.3 rushing ypg.

3. There is a lot of angst about Lester using 1 cadence as the play-caller at Syracuse in 2014. But he was promoted to OC part way through the season after the OC who started the year got fired. The team went through 10 different starting OL due to injuries. They also went through 4 different QBs. Not exactly the easiest way to implement an offense.

4. 2022 was bad, but WMU's QB in 2021 declared for the draft, and then went undrafted. It isn't farfetched to believe that their offense would have looked a lot better if he had returned. In 2021, he had passed for 3,277 yds. 9.0 yds per attempt. 23 TDs, 6 Ints. 63.2% completion percentage.

5. A lot has been made of the fact that Jake Moreland was the OC for 3 of Lester's 6 years. 2018-2020. Those were good years for the WMU offense, but Moreland was never the passing game coordinator in his time at WMU. Side note--Kevin Johns was the OC for Tim Lester in 2017.

 

[GunnerHawk]

A lot of solid points jdv77. I don't think this hire is nearly as bad as the Ferentz naysayers say it is. Let's give him a chance.

 

[drew_hawk]

Yeah, Matt LeFleur and him were teammates in college at WMU. Was definitely a stop gap job for Lester after he was fired so he wouldn’t be unemployed

 

[JayTheOkay]

The Offense is always going to be uninspiring under KF but maybe this guy can coach up the QBs. So I guess this can be counted as a win?

 

[obfuscating]

Better than Brian 🤷

In the MAC...his only P5 experience was Syracuse, where he innovated the cadence to never change.

 

[obfuscating]

The Offense is always going to be uninspiring under KF but maybe this guy can coach up the QBs. So I guess this can be counted as a win?

If he doesnt make DH the 3rd string...

 

[Bierhalter]

If he doesnt make DH the 3rd string...

I'd cut him some slack if that was the case. The decision may not be up to him or any OC.

 

[SolarHawk]

He's a fricking pencil neck who never played the game. WTF does he know?

Probably more than you. No, definitely more than you. It’s his “fricking” job

 

[uihawk82]

The only stat I’ve seen about him that is positive at all.

Fwiw, his senior analyst position at Green Bay wasn’t even for offense last year. He spent most of his time working with the defense last year 😂😂🥴

Yeah, he was probably breaking down opponent offenses for the defensive team to learn about.

He has a decent pedigree and he is the one we have so I am pulling for him. I pulled for Brian until it wasnt possible to

 

[Birky]

Any evidence that Lester was involved in the offense at all? His OC from those days moved to the NFL and his system was a lot different than what Lester ran at Syracuse.

He was the play caller every year but his first as head coach at WMU.

 

[Bow.to.the.Narrative]

KOK and Davis both had better resumes. Won't even talk about boy genius. All evidence points to not trusting Kirk about anything concerning the offense. All of my "let's wait and see" has been used up. Iowa will have a craptastic offense until he is gone.

 

[desihawk]

based on 49ers-lions game at least we dodged the kubiak bullet

 

[obfuscating]

I'd cut him some slack if that was the case. The decision may not be up to him or any OC.

How can the OC not choose his QB? KF (who admittedly says he doesnt know QBing) tells his OC who he can play?

 

[eyesofhawk]

So, a guy who hadn't coached defense since 2007 at Div III level got a job as a "senior analyst" for an NFL team, where he spent most of his time working with the defense....

Well, that confirms my suspicion that NFL jobs like senior analyst, quality control, etc., are just made up and something for unemployed coaches to put on their resume and allow them to feed their families until they can get a real job. Must be nice being part of the good 'ole boys club...

Like I've said all along, nepotism is the norm in football

 

[cmhawks99]

and he was teammates with LaFluer at WMU. So it was more who you know than what you know there.

Oh no…more nepotism, it’s everywhere 😱

 

[cmhawks99]

I was curious to see if W. Michigan and Iowa had any similar opponents while Lester was HC and they had 5
2017 vs Michigan State Iowa L 10-17/W. Mich L 14-28
2018 vs N. Illinois Iowa W 33-7/W. Mich W 28-21
2019 vs Miami OH Iowa W 38-14/W. Mich W 38-16
2021 vs Michigan Iowa L 3-42/W. Mich L 14-47
2021 vs Kent State Iowa W 30-7/W. Mich W 64-31

Offensive Stats for those games
2017 MSU
Iowa Passing: 32-17-207-0-0 53.1% Rushing: 25-19-1 0.8 Total: 57-226-1 4.0 2 turnovers
W. Mich Passing: 27-12-79-0-1 44.4% Rushing: 36-116-0 3.2 Total: 63-195-0 3.1 1 turnover

2018 N. Ill
Iowa 25-13-143-1-1 52% 48-209-3 4.4 73-352-4 4.8 1 TO
W. Mich 35-19-285-0-0 54.7% 46-94-3 2.0 81-379-3 4.7 1 TO

2019 Miami OH
Iowa 30-21-252-3-0 70% 41-231-2 5.2 71-465-5 6.5 1 TO
W. Mich 25-15-137-2-1 60% 40-173-2 4.3 65-310-4 4.8 1 TO

2021 Michigan
Iowa 38-19-175-0-1 50% 33-104-0 3.2 71-279-0 3.9 1 TO
W. Mich 37-20-191-1-0 54.1% 32-119-1 3.7 69-310-2 4.5 0 TO

2021 Kent State
Iowa 37-26-212-1-0 70.3% 38-206-3 5.4 75-418-4 5.6 1 TO
W. Mich 22-15-307-3-0 68.2% 51-341-5 6.7 73-648-8 8.9 0 TO

Interesting

 

[cmhawks99]

I understand the angst, but I wish people would take a fair look at the hire before rushing to judgment.

1. Tim Lester understands how to play QB. He was a 4 year starter at WMU, passing for over 11,000 yards and 87 touchdowns.

2. If you want to judge his head coaching tenure at WMU, look at all of his seasons there rather than only the last one.
2017: 33.9 ppg (27th nationally). 389.6 ypg. 164.8 passing ypg. 224.8 rushing ypg.
2018: 32.0 ppg (40th nationally). 438.4 ypg. 238.5 passing ypg. 199.8 rushing ypg.
2019: 33.1 ppg (33rd nationally). 445.7 ypg 240.6 passing ypg. 205.1 rushing ypg.
2020: 41.7 ppg (10th nationally. 479.7 ypg. 283.7 passing ypg. 195.8 rushing ypg.
2021: 32.5 ppg (34th nationally). 467.2 ypg. 253.6 passing ypg. 213.5 rushing ypg.
2022: 19.0 ppg (119th nationally). 301.9 ypg. 165.8 passing ypg. 136.3 rushing ypg.

3. There is a lot of angst about Lester using 1 cadence as the play-caller at Syracuse in 2014. But he was promoted to OC part way through the season after the OC who started the year got fired. The team went through 10 different starting OL due to injuries. They also went through 4 different QBs. Not exactly the easiest way to implement an offense.

4. 2022 was bad, but WMU's QB in 2021 declared for the draft, and then went undrafted. It isn't farfetched to believe that their offense would have looked a lot better if he had returned. In 2021, he had passed for 3,277 yds. 9.0 yds per attempt. 23 TDs, 6 Ints. 63.2% completion percentage.

5. A lot has been made of the fact that Jake Moreland was the OC for 3 of Lester's 6 years. 2018-2020. Those were good years for the WMU offense, but Moreland was never the passing game coordinator in his time at WMU. Side note--Kevin Johns was the OC for Tim Lester in 2017.

That’s the kind of optimism not allowed in here!!

 

[tony0051]

The only stat I’ve seen about him that is positive at all.

Fwiw, his senior analyst position at Green Bay wasn’t even for offense last year. He spent most of his time working with the defense last year 😂😂🥴

Incorrect. He scouted opposing offenses for the defense. He was able to watch every team in the NFL. He worked the scout team offense.

 

[Ferentz_Fan]

Yeah, he was probably breaking down opponent offenses for the defensive team to learn about.

He has a decent pedigree and he is the one we have so I am pulling for him. I pulled for Brian until it wasnt possible to

I will be supporting the young men who decided to come here and the coaches of this team. I too supported Brian but numbers for the last several years speak for themselves. I celebrate every win but also remember the kind of games called against the blowout of O$U and bowl game against the USC.

 

[Ferentz_Fan]

I understand the angst, but I wish people would take a fair look at the hire before rushing to judgment.

1. Tim Lester understands how to play QB. He was a 4 year starter at WMU, passing for over 11,000 yards and 87 touchdowns.

2. If you want to judge his head coaching tenure at WMU, look at all of his seasons there rather than only the last one.
2017: 33.9 ppg (27th nationally). 389.6 ypg. 164.8 passing ypg. 224.8 rushing ypg.
2018: 32.0 ppg (40th nationally). 438.4 ypg. 238.5 passing ypg. 199.8 rushing ypg.
2019: 33.1 ppg (33rd nationally). 445.7 ypg 240.6 passing ypg. 205.1 rushing ypg.
2020: 41.7 ppg (10th nationally. 479.7 ypg. 283.7 passing ypg. 195.8 rushing ypg.
2021: 32.5 ppg (34th nationally). 467.2 ypg. 253.6 passing ypg. 213.5 rushing ypg.
2022: 19.0 ppg (119th nationally). 301.9 ypg. 165.8 passing ypg. 136.3 rushing ypg.

3. There is a lot of angst about Lester using 1 cadence as the play-caller at Syracuse in 2014. But he was promoted to OC part way through the season after the OC who started the year got fired. The team went through 10 different starting OL due to injuries. They also went through 4 different QBs. Not exactly the easiest way to implement an offense.

4. 2022 was bad, but WMU's QB in 2021 declared for the draft, and then went undrafted. It isn't farfetched to believe that their offense would have looked a lot better if he had returned. In 2021, he had passed for 3,277 yds. 9.0 yds per attempt. 23 TDs, 6 Ints. 63.2% completion percentage.

5. A lot has been made of the fact that Jake Moreland was the OC for 3 of Lester's 6 years. 2018-2020. Those were good years for the WMU offense, but Moreland was never the passing game coordinator in his time at WMU. Side note--Kevin Johns was the OC for Tim Lester in 2017.

Thank you for taking the time to post this.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

I'll give anyone a chance, but this seems like KF don't open the offense hire

 

[Bierhalter]

How can the OC not choose his QB? KF (who admittedly says he doesnt know QBing) tells his OC who he can play?

I don't know. I guess I'm not convinced it was totally up to O'Keefe, Davis, or BF who played when the incumbent QB was sucking it up.

 

[Fan In Black]

Oh no…more nepotism, it’s everywhere 😱

yes it is. in coaching and almost every profession.

Lafluer also hired his buddy Joe Barry as DC with an awful resume. He fired him this year after 3 years.

At least he finally fired him.

 

[cmhawks99]

Incorrect. He scouted opposing offenses for the defense. He was able to watch every team in the NFL. He worked the scout team offense.

That means he’s smart…

 

[cmhawks99]

I don't know. I guess I'm not convinced it was totally up to O'Keefe, Davis, or BF who played when the incumbent QB was sucking it up.

I believe way back to JC/Stanzi KOK verified this…

 

[Sett1997]

How can the OC not choose his QB? KF (who admittedly says he doesnt know QBing) tells his OC who he can play?

This will be the test, if Deacon is anywhere but last on the depth chart, we have our answer as to how involved Kirk is.
I think he told Kirk you have to let me make the personnel decisions.
We will see