Scott Shafer officially named Tim Lester as his quarterbacks coach Thursday, SU Athletics announced in a press release Thursday.

Lester spent the past five years as the head coach of Division-III Elmhurst College. He resigned on Jan. 14 to take a position as an assistant coach at a “Division I institution” and speculation immediately swirled that Lester was headed to Syracuse. Lester was the quarterbacks coach at Western Michigan in 2005 and 2006 when Shafer was the Broncos’ defensive coordinator.

Lester will be tasked with developing the Orange’s next starting quarterback. Shafer said at his introductory press conference on Jan. 11 that he wants to have an offense that’s exciting to watch, something Lester echoed in a statement Thursday.

“I am extremely excited and honored to have the opportunity to coach within a football program with such great tradition, from Jim Brown to Coach (Dick MacPherson) to Donovan McNabb, as it enters the ACC,” Lester said in a press release. “Our focus will be for our quarterbacks to be exciting to watch as we work with them to play with their arm and with their feet, and to make good decisions. Our mission is to put a product on the field that will be exciting for all Syracuse fans watch.”

In five seasons under Lester, Elmhurst went 33-19. Last season, the Bluejays went 10-2 and won a share of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championship.

Lester was also the head coach at Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana in 2004, where he led the team to a 7-4 record and the Independent Football Alliance Coach of the Year Award.

Lester was the starting quarterback at Western Michigan before he graduated in 2000. He left the Broncos as the program’s all-time leading passer with 11,299 yards, good for fifth in NCAA history. He also ranks seventh in NCAA history with 89 touchdown passes.

He played professionally in the Arena Football League, the Arena Football League 2 and the XFL.

Syracuse has four potential starting quarterbacks currently on its roster in Charley Loeb, Terrel Hunt, John Kinder and Ashton Broyld, though Broyld played sparingly as a running back this past season.

The Orange has a commitment from Pennsylvania – quarterback Austin Wilson – who could also be in the mix for the starting spot. Wilson tweeted yesterday that he spoke to Lester, and said in the tweet they’ll do “big things.”

Shafer lauded Lester’s coaching ability in a statement Thursday.

“Tim Lester is one of the brightest, young, energetic QB coaches I know,” Shafer said in a press release. “He played the position in high school and college and set numerous records in Division I football. He is a proven teacher and leader on and off the field.”

Published on January 17, 2013 at 8:34 pm

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman