Kirk Ferentz Says Tim Lester's Playbook is Being Installed at Iowa

During Kirk Ferentz's 25 years as the head coach of Iowa football, there hasn't been much turnover on his coaching staff's from year-to-year. Potentially the biggest shift since he took the position in Iowa City took place this offseason, as Ferentz hired Tim Lester to replace his son, Brian as the offensive coordinator.

So far, things appear to be going swimmingly.

"So far it's been good," Ferentz said at Tuesday afternoon's spring football presser. "It's probably a bigger adjustment for him since there's more of us that were here, and he's the new guy, if you will. But Tim is a great guy, great person. He's a veteran coach and been in a lot of different situations, a lot of different levels."

"He's handling it really, really well and has done a great job with the players, as well. I don't want to speak for him, but I think the transition is going really smoothly and thus far very, very positive, so not surprised."

While chemistry is positive, the real question is, will things change on the field this season? According to Ferentz, the answer is yes.

"Basically we're just taking his playbook material and going with it," Ferentz said. "It's been a process, though. We're trying to install something each and every day. It's been challenging, I think, for everybody, and myself included, just learning the language and all that type of thing and trying to keep up."

"We're doing that and seeing how the install is going and then also see how the players are handling that, and where it all ends up we'll see at the end of spring, and certainly we'll work through some of that in August, too. So far, so good. It's good."

Challenging or not, it's something new, and that's what the Iowa fan base is starving for on the offensive side of the ball.

Ferentz says he hasn't completely deviated from his ways that have provided so much success over two decades-plus, though.

"I think it's going to look different, but I think philosophically we're in line," he said. "Not that it was a prerequisite, but he's been a head coach, and I think he understands how all three things function together. We played good defense here pretty much 20-plus years. That was a building block coming in."

And you know what that means -- complimentary football.

"That's been a big part of our blueprint, I guess," Ferentz continued. "Stats are great and all that, but the most important stat is winning games, and that has been first and foremost. And my visits with Tim, I think that's where he's at, too. He thinks the same way and he gets it. He gets how things work together."

Of course, the Hawkeye offense's success will largely be contingent on the health of the expected starting quarterback Cade McNamara. Coming off a torn ACL in the fifth game of Iowa's 2023 season, the former Michigan QB is still recovering from the injury and subsequent surgery.

"He's limited right now," Ferentz said "He can throw the football standing, but he can't be really moving back, moving around or dropping, that type of deal."

"I kind of have a harness on him because he's always anxious to do a little bit more than what he probably should. What we don't want to do is go backwards, but I would like to think in June he will be full speed so do everything and then have a couple months to get used to operating and get comfortable and confident again."

The good news is that McNamara has had some experience in the RPO game from his days in Ann Arbor, and of course, he's been a starting Big Ten quarterback.

"I don't see it being a major transition for him at all," Ferentz said. "I'm eager to see him when he can move and be mobile and adjust and do some things, but mentally he's right there in the muddle with the guys. He's relaying calls to his teammates that aren't in the huddle, that type of thing. He's 100 percent involved in it and engrossed in it."

In the meantime, it looks like Deacon Hill is the man that will be taking reps with the ones, as opposed to redshirt-freshman Marco Lainez.

"Deacon has the benefit of he played the most last year of any of our guys, so certainly he's got more experience, but an awful lot of things he can work on," Ferentz said. "Marco has got a different set of circumstances and different things to work on, but every player on the team has got things they need to get better at."

For now, Hill is listed above Lainez on the the depth chart, though Ferentz says no one should be too concerned about how the two-deeps currently look.

"It's March 26th right now, so it doesn't mean a lot, and I told the players that in the first meeting," he said. "Nobody knows what it's going to look like on August 31st, so right now let's just worry about getting better and worry about your performance."