Western Michigan will not retain Tim Lester as football coach, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The Broncos wrapped up a 5–7 season this weekend, marking the first time in six years as Western Michigan’s coach that Lester has posted a losing record.
Western Michigan went 37–32 over six seasons under Lester and posted a 26–20 record in MAC play. However, the Broncos never won their division, the MAC West, and as such never appeared in a conference title game with Lester at the helm.
Lester replaced P.J. Fleck, who left the Broncos for Minnesota following the 2016 season. Lester had three years remaining on his contract, and Western Michigan reportedly will pay him $500,000 as part of his buyout agreement.
Western Michigan plans to hire a search firm to find a “high-energy coach who is a dynamic recruiter and has experienced success at multiple levels,” per Thamel.
