|
Tim Lester Named Head Football Coach
ELMHURST, Ill. - Elmhurst College has named Tim Lester as its new head football coach. Lester becomes the 17th head coach in school history, taking over for Tom Journell, who resigned last month to accept a position at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Lester is certainly no stranger to the Bluejays' football program. He began his collegiate coaching career at Elmhurst in 2002 and spent two seasons as the Bluejays' offensive coordinator. Lester's offensive units broke 11 school records and the 2003 squad averaged over 395 yards and over 30 points per game.
"I'm thrilled to be coming back to Elmhurst College," said Lester. "Elmhurst gave me my first opportunity in coaching and it has held a special place for me ever since. I'm excited to have the opportunity to come back and finish what we started."
Originally from Wheaton, Lester attended Wheaton Warrenville South High School and was a member of the state title team in 1992. He quarterbacked the Tigers to back-to-back conference titles in 1993 and 1994 before becoming one of the most prolific passers in NCAA history.
A 2000 graduate of Western Michigan University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics, Lester rewrote the school's record book. He finished his career as Western Michigan's all-time leading passer and set 17 school records. Lester wrapped up his career ranked fifth in NCAA history in passing yards (11,299) and seventh in touchdown passes (89). He finished with more passing yards than Peyton Manning (11,201) and more touchdown passes than Ben Roethlisberger (84) and Eli Manning (81).
Lester played professionally for the Nashville Kats and Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League, the Memphis Xplorers of the Arena Football League 2, and the Chicago Enforcers of the XFL.
After his two-year coaching stint with the Bluejays, Lester served as the head coach of Saint Joseph's College (Ind.) during the 2004 season. He led the Division II program to a 7-4 finish, its second-best record ever, and earned Coach of the Year honors from the Independent Football Alliance. With Lester's guidance, the Pumas turned in a five-game improvement from the previous season and broke seven school records.
Lester returned to Western Michigan where he served as the quarterback's coach for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Under Lester's direction, quarterback Tim Hiller earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors while throwing 20 touchdowns in just seven games played.
Lester spent last season as the defensive coordinator for CCIW-rival North Central College. The Cardinals' defense finished the season ranked 18th in the nation in rushing defense (88.1 yards per game), 12th in interceptions (21), 17th in turnovers gained (33), and 18th in sacks (3.33 per game).
Before he reached the college coaching ranks, Lester spent two seasons coaching at the high school level. He served as the offensive coordinator at Saint Benedict High School and at Wheaton Warrenville South High School.
Lester inherits a team that has posted three consecutive winning seasons with identical 6-4 records. The Bluejays return 11 starters (seven on offense, four on defense) from the 2007 squad. With the start of the season right around the corner, Lester is excited about the work that lies ahead.
"There's a lot of work that goes into being successful in the CCIW," he said. “We'll have to get our system installed, and familiarize our players with it before the season-opening contest, but, I know that our players possess the talent to help our team reach the next level. If our players buy into our system, then I believe we'll be able to build a program that can consistently challenge for a CCIW title."
Lester resides in Naperville with his wife, Dawn, and son, Quinn.
The Bluejays open the 2008 season by hosting Benedictine University on Saturday, September 6.
|
