KALAMAZOO, MI - With all the ties between the Western Michigan coaching staff and the Syracuse football program, it's not uncommon for Tim Lester to field questions about what strings he had to pull to bring the Orange to Kalamazoo for the 2018 season opener.
Truth is, the first matchup between the two teams was in the works well before Lester became WMU's head coach in January 2017.
"I have a lot of connection there, and really enjoyed my time there," said Lester, who served as Syracuse's quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator during parts of three seasons from 2013-15.