Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester was fired after posting a 5-7 record in his sixth season with the Broncos.
Lester, a former quarterback at WMU, was 37-32 since being hired and had five winning seasons before his first with a losing record in 2022.
Lester signed a contract extension in January, which includes a buyout of $500,000.
“First, I am disappointed that I won’t get to lead the Western Michigan football program and these players in the future,” Lester said in a press release. “I want to thank Al Molde and his staff for recruiting me here in 1995. I want to thank Bill Cubit for hiring me as an assistant in 2005. And finally, I would like to thank Kathy Beauregard and President John Dunn for giving me the opportunity to lead this program six years ago.”
Western Michigan went 13-0 in the regular season in 2016 under P.J. Fleck, who left to become head coach at Minnesota following the Cotton Bowl. WMU lost to Wisconsin, 24-16, and rose to No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
