Kirk Ferentz was unlikely to deliver a splashy offensive-coordinator hire. Iowa’s head coach and his son, Brian, damaged the program’s reputation in that area too badly in recent years to attract big names.
Whomever he tabbed was going to create a strong reaction. The emotional scars inflicted on the fan base during Brian’s seven-year run as OC run deep. Folks wanted to turn the page as quickly as possible.
The early feedback on Lester was lukewarm, at best, on social media channels. Again, the Hawkeyes weren’t waiting on the 49ers’ playoff run to end to take a shot at Kyle Shanahan.
Lester, much like when his boss was hired here, isn’t the popular choice. Nobody knows how this deal will unfold.
If history dictates the future, cover your eyes or go get something from the fridge when the offense is on the field. Much more often than not, that phase will lag considerably behind the other two in the Ferentz formula of complementary football.
Ken O’Keefe called the plays through the first 13 seasons of Ferentz’s run. A family member told me fans would randomly call their house. They weren’t nice.