Tim Lester Out As Western Michigan Football Head Coach

It was announced Monday morning, after the Thanksgiving break, that Western Michigan Football Head Coach Tim Lester would not be returning for the 2023 season.

Lester led the team to a 5-7 record this season - his first losing season as head coach for the past 6 years in Kalamazoo.

Get our free mobile app

Over his career at Western, Lester put together a 37-32 record, and maintained a winning record in the MAC at 26-20. However, not once did he bring the Broncos to a MAC Championship, or win the MAC west.

Prior to coaching at Western, Lester was a quarterback for the Broncos from 1996-1999, then spent a few years in the XFL and Arena Football Leagues. Prior to his coachind debut at Western, he was the quarterbacks coach at Purdue, and offensive coordinator for two seasons at Syracuse from 2013-15.

He still had three years left on his contract, and Western is expected to pay him $500,000 to buy out what remained.

So now, the hunt is on, and Western Michigan is looking for a new head coach headed into bowl season, and Kalamazoo is a prime landing spot for a number of coaches that have been let go from bigger schools, or maybe some assistant coaches around the NCAA who are looking for a boost!

Western plans to hire a search firm soon, and will conduct a national search, and ideally they're looking for a high-energy coach, who is a dynamic recruiter.

Lester took over for P.J. Fleck after an undefeated 2016 regular season that took the Broncos to the Cotton Bowl. He took Western to three bowl games in his tenure, including a 2021 appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl.

During his introduction as head coach 6 years ago, Lester said he was "honored to coach his alma mater."