Intriguing New Buccaneers Hire Named Potential Breakout Assistant Coach

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers revamped their entire offensive staff, and one new coach could be a name to watch.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterbacks/co-offensive coordinator Chandler Whitmer walks the field before the game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers overhauled a good portion of their defense by adding new players in 2026. They did the same thing with the offense by hiring new coaches.

Tampa Bay took a chance on offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, but that didn't work out in 2025 and he was fired shortly after the season. The Bucs opted for more experience with their next hire, bringing in former Atlanta Falcons OC Zac Robinson to head the offense in 2026.

Robinson has drawn a good amount of attention, especially because he's been an OC before and his schemes and methodology have been put on tape. But there's one coach he brought with him to Tampa Bay that has many intrigued by what he could continue to do at the NFL level, and that coach will be working very closely with quarterback Baker Mayfield this year.

Chandler Whitmer Named as Potential Breakout Candidate

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) speaks with quarterback coach Chandler Whitmer | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Athletic's Jordan Rodrigue identified a breakout assistant coaching candidate for every NFL team, and for the Buccaneers, she chose a name that's been getting quite a lot of buzz recently — quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer.

"While plenty of league curiosity surrounds new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, Whitmer will probably also draw a lot of his own after spending the last season as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of College Football Playoff champion Indiana … and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza," Rodrigue wrote. "Whitmer, now paired with Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, has also previously worked with Kirk Cousins (in Atlanta, as pass game specialist under Robinson) and Justin Herbert (with the Los Angeles Chargers, as offensive quality control)."

Whitmer replaces quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, who was previously on staff in Tampa Bay from 2021-25.

Whitmer does have NFL experience, having worked as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers. This will be the biggest role he's been in at the NFL level, though, and he'll be tasked with keeping Mayfield on track and getting him to bounce back after a rough second half of the year.

His biggest point of emphasis this offseason has seemingly been footwork. Both Mayfield and backup quarterback Connor Bazelak have noted that he's strict about footwork,

"Really staying consistent with footwork. I think there were things that, you know, I kind of lost track of some of that during the last half of the year. And Chandler's really good at it," Mayfield said. "Chandler Whitmer has really been honing in on it. At times, it can be pretty annoying how meticulous he is about it, but for me, I love that. I want to be coached hard, and I think he's doing an incredible job."

Whitmer will continue to work with Mayfield and the rest of the quarterbacks room all throughout training camp, which begins on July 28.

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