Ferentz on OC Lester: "He fits in well"

The preseason is as good a time for optimism, and Kirk Ferentz laid out why Iowa Hawkeye fans should be optimistic about the 2024 season at this week's Big Ten Media Days.

Of course, the list of reasons arguing for pessimism is long. Iowa has struggled mightily on offense for half a decade and Tim Lester, the Hawkeyes' new offensive coordinator, hasn't been closely tied to success in some time. On top of that, Cade McNamara hasn't been healthy.

But the opportunity for new beginnings for all three men doesn't seem lost on them. How the three converge to improve Iowa's offensive attack is one of the largest dictators of the Hawkeyes' ceiling for success in the upcoming season.

So far, systems look green, according to the head coach.

"Tim has fit in really well," Ferentz said. "He's just a high-energy guy, and he's got a good grasp of what he wants to do and a vision of where he wants to go. He's been very interactive with everyone on the staff in terms of 'What do you think? What do you guys see?' Those types of things. To me, that's the quality of a good coach and a good leader."

The relationship between a quarterback and his offensive coordinator is paramount. It's a long-understood aspect of the operation that the coordinator needs to trust his quarterback's perspective on the field while the same is reciprocated to the coordinator's years of understanding and trust in his scheme.

As Ferentz alluded to during his press conference in Indianapolis, fans and media haven't seen the product on the field since McNamara was cleared. But until the product is displayed this fall, all Hawkeye fans have to go on is the word of the head coach.

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