Meet the new Bucs coaches hired to push Baker Mayfield forward

At 34, new Bucs quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer is only three years older than quarterback Baker Mayfield. But the youthful assistant already has proven he can elevate play at the game's most important position.

This past season, Whitmer helped guide Fernando Mendoza through an undefeated campaign at Indiana that culminated in a national championship and Heisman Trophy award.

"He's fantastic," Whitmer said of Mayfield. "The guy has got a hunger that you would think would be from a rookie. He's fired up. He loves football. As everybody knows, he's competitive. His moxie is what makes him special. Obviously, he's super talented. But that's what sets him apart. You can really see it in the building, and you can see it with the guys around him. They love playing for him."

In fact, Baker's men could have a profound impact on his game this season.

They include offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, a former Rams assistant who worked with Mayfield for five weeks when he was claimed off waivers from Carolina in 2022; Ken Zampese, the senior offensive assistant/pass game specialist who was Mayfield's quarterbacks coach his rookie year in Cleveland; and passing game coordinator T.J. Yates.

"Baker is kind of one of the last in a dying breed of those competitive alpha quarterbacks," Yates said. "There's a lot of guys across the league who are just a little more softly mannered. A little more mildly mannered. It's just the way of social media and the sensitivity that goes with that younger generation.

"Baker is just different compared to the rest of the guys that I've been around. ... The dudes, you know, really know how to play the position and just earn that respect from teammates by the way they carry themselves, and the leader and the competitor they are. That's really what Baker does to stand out from other guys across the league."

For all the success Mayfield has had during his three seasons in Tampa Bay, his performance took a step back last year. He finished with 3,693 yards passing with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

But after a 6-2 start, the Bucs lost seven of their final nine games to miss the postseason for the first time in six years, including back-to-back NFC South titles with Mayfield at the helm.

That led to a house-cleaning on the offensive staff by head coach Todd Bowles, who fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard after one season, as well as quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis.

Robinson, the Falcons offensive coordinator the past two seasons, worked with Whitmer in Atlanta in 2024, when Whitmer served as passing game specialist before moving to Indiana.

But their history goes back further than that. Robinson was a quarterback at Oklahoma State working as a counselor at an Elite 11 quarterback camp that Whitmer attended while in high school.

"We've had a long relationship since then," Whitmer said. "For some reason, he took a liking and kind of kept in touch. When I was with the Chargers, he was with the Rams and we both were out there on the West Coast and had a good relationship throughout that time."

It would be hard for Whitmer to have a better experience in coaching than he did last season at Indiana.

Not only did he help lead the Hoosiers to a national championship, Mendoza played well enough to join Mayfield as a Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick, selected by the Raiders.

"Obviously, it was an awesome experience," Whitmer said. "The results kind of spoke for themselves. But I can't say enough good things about (Mendoza). The way he works. Obviously, he's very talented, but just how much he loves football. That was the thing that jumped out to me early on, and obviously he's in the NFL now, so I wish him luck. I still have a relationship. There's still the human element to all of this, so I'm really excited about his future."

Whitmer also got to witness firsthand how disruptive Rueben Bain Jr. could be in the national championship game, long before the Miami edge rusher became the Bucs' No. 1 pick.

"Both those guys on the edge (Bain and Akheem Mesidor), we had trouble," Whitmer said. "I remember saying on the microphone, ‘Guys, we can't block these guys.' I'm assuming we're going to see a lot of the same here. We got to see a brief snippet of it in minicamp.

"I think what we liked the most was just how determined and focused he is. I think that's been made very public, and you can see that in his demeanor and the way he operates. It's a cliché saying, but the guy is a pro already the way he carries himself."

Zampese is reunited with Mayfield for the first time since the quarterback was a rookie with the Browns.

"We were just breathing through a firehose back then so we could just play the play," Zampese said. "And now, he's knowing who's where, the strengths of this player, the coverage, the looks, the timing, when the ball needs to come out, spots in the pocket.

"He's really taken all that experience and rolled it into a more mature-looking player when you watch him play. He's still the same player. Fiery as ever. Goofy as hell, just like we like him. Just like we've hoped to have him. He's perfect."

Well, maybe not perfect. Mayfield still has a lot of room for improvement. In addition to staying healthy - he hasn't missed a game since joining the Bucs but was on the injury report more than a half-dozen times last year - Mayfield is working to improve his footwork.

"The biggest thing has been ... just making sure that's been consistent," Whitmer said. "Obviously, you know the timing and system on offense. That really has to translate. So, just making sure we're being as detailed as possible through that, and if that's not right not just letting him slide but make sure we communicate throughout that, ‘Hey, this is what we're looking for.'

"He's been very open to it. Obviously, the age gap is small, but he wants to be coached no matter who it is, and if we can help him get better, that's what matters."

• • •

Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X and Facebook.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 4:51 PM.