Western Michigan University Athletics

Tim Lester was named the 16th head football coach in school history on Friday, January 13, 2017.

Lester has risen through the coaching ranks after completing a Hall of Fame playing career at Western Michigan. He was a four-year starter at quarterback at WMU from 1996-99, leading the Broncos to a Mid-American Conference championship appearance his senior season. Lester also made a stop as an assistant coach at his alma mater during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. A native of Wheaton, Ill., Lester earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Western Michigan in 2000 and was inducted into the Western Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

In 2020, Lester guided the Broncos through an unprecedented season, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a six-game, MAC-only schedule, WMU jumped out to a 4-0 start, highlighted by a third-straight win over rival Central Michigan, and dramatic victories over Toledo and Northern Illinois. That positioned the Broncos to head to Ball State in the season finale with the MAC West title on the line, but this time they fell short in dramatic fashion as the Cardinals kicked a game-winning field goal with 29 seconds left.

Lester's squad was recognized with 12 all-conference selections, including MAC Special Teams Player of the Year in D'Wayne Eskridge. Eskridge was also a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the most versatile player in college football, after leading FBS in all-purpose yards per game (213.0). The dozen All-MAC honorees ran the total number under Lester to 45, most in the league since 2017. The Broncos produced another high-flying offense, as they ranked 16th nationally in total offense and QB Kaleb Eleby finished third in the nation in passer rating, trailing only Heisman finalist Mac Jones (Alabama) and BYU's Zach Wilson.

Off the field, OL Mike Caliendo was named a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, as well as a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete. Caliendo was one of 16 Academic All-MAC selections on the year, giving WMU 69 such honorees under Lester. That total ranks second in the league during his tenure.

His third season as head coach on the sidelines at Western Michigan featured an All-America linebacker, the MAC MVP, the league’s offensive and defensive players of the year and the sixth consecutive year of bowl eligibility for the Broncos. WMU finished second in the MAC West Division and visited Dallas for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. 

Under Lester’s guidance, running back LeVante Bellamy led the nation in rushing touchdowns with 23 and was selected as the MAC’s most valuable player and offensive player of the year. Second team All-America linebacker Treshaun Hayward was tabbed the league’s defensive player of the year after leading the Broncos with 142 tackles, the most in the league and third most nationally. In all, 12 student-athletes received 13 All-MAC honors and three Broncos received East-West Shrine Bowl invitations: Bellamy, center Luke Juriga and tight end Giovanni Ricci. Bellamy also represented Western Michigan at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis from February 23 - March 2, 2020.

Off the field, 2019 was highlighted by quarterback Jon Wassink receiving the Wuerffel Trophy for his community service efforts and football performance, as well as being selected as a National Football Foundation  (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete, making him a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, commonly referred to as the Academic Heisman. Wassink was also named the NFF State of Michigan Chapter Michael R. Sadler D1 Scholar Athlete of the Year award winner. 

The Broncos had 17 placed on the Football Academic All-MAC Team, and Wassink and offensive lineman Mike Caliendo received CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades. Since Lester took over the program in 2017, WMU leads the conference in Academic All-MAC selections with 53. Western Michigan had an additional six selections to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, tied for the second most among Group of Five conferences. The Broncos have at least four players on the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in each of the last four seasons. 

During the 2018 campaign, Lester guided the Broncos to bowl eligibility for the fifth-straight season, a program record, and a trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Five Broncos earned All-MAC honors, including first team selections Bellamy and Juriga. WMU paced the conference in Academic All-MAC selections with 20, and five of them went on to earn MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete honors.

In Lester’s first season as head coach at Western Michigan, in 2017, the Broncos led the league with 12 all-conference selections and had 16 Academic All-MAC selections, five MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes and a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. As a team, the Broncos posted a 3.08 GPA. Offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor collected six All-America honors and Wyatt Pfeifer was an All-America long snapper. 

Several school records were broken as running back Jarvion Franklin became WMU’s all-time leading rusher with 4,867 career yards, and also set a school record for most career touchdowns with 56. Darius Phillips became the FBS all-time leader for career returns for TDs with 12 and tied the FBS record with five career interceptions returned for touchdowns. Phillips was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year for the second-straight season and had 100-yard kickoff returns in back-to-back weeks to open the season at No. 4 Southern California and Michigan State. 

Both Okorafor (3rd round, Pittsburgh) and Phillips (5th round, Cincinnati), as well as defensive back Sam Beal (3rd round, New York Giants), were NFL Draft picks.

Prior to taking the head coaching position at Western Michigan Lester was the quarterbacks coach at Purdue in 2016, mentoring sophomore signal-caller David Blough to 25 touchdown passes and 3,352 yards, averaging more than 279 yards passing per game.

Lester served as Syracuse’s quarterbacks coach from 2013 to 2015 and doubled as offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015.

Prior to working at Syracuse, Lester was the head coach at Division III Elmhurst (Illinois) College from 2008 to 2012. Over five seasons, he posted a 33-19 record for a .635 winning percentage, second highest in school history. In his final season in 2012, he led the Bluejays to a 10-2 record and a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championship as well as Elmhurst’s first NCAA playoff appearance. Lester was named the CCIW Coach of the Year that season.

Lester also served as an assistant at North Central College (2007) and Elmhurst (2002-03). He was the head coach at Division II Saint Joseph’s College in 2004, receiving Independent Football Alliance Coach of the Year honors. 

Lester started his playing career at Western Michigan with a bang, earning MAC Freshman of the Year honors in 1996. He was a Second Team All-MAC selection his junior and senior seasons. He finished his Bronco career ranked fourth in FBS history in passing yards (11,299) and sixth in touchdown passes (87). Lester set 17 school passing records and eight MAC records.

Lester and his wife, Dawn, have three sons, Camden, Carter and Cooper. Lester’s oldest son, Quinn, is a three-year letterman (2018-19-20) on the Ball State men’s volleyball team.