The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently named Zac Robinson as their new offensive coordinator heading into the 2026 season.
While Robinson, as the new playcaller, will rightfully draw the headlines, how he fills out the rest of his offensive staff is just as important. He started on a strong note by bringing in Chandler Whitmer, who most recently served as Indiana’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Indiana is coming off a 16-0 national championship season in which quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and emerged as the early frontrunner to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
The Hoosiers ranked third nationally, scoring 41.6 points per game, with Whitmer playing a major role in the offense’s success. He also brings NFL coaching experience, having served as a quality control coach with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2021 to 2023 and as a passing game specialist on Robinson’s staff with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024.
What Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman season under Chandler Whitmer means for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs
Still just 34 years old, Whitmer already has built an impressive résumé. In addition to coaching at both the college and professional levels, he also played quarterback at Butler Community College and UConn.
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, repeatedly praised Whitmer throughout the season, calling him the best position coach he has ever been around, and went on to enjoy the best year of his collegiate career under his guidance.
“I don’t think I can put it in words how much Coach Whitmer has meant to me, not only from a physical standpoint but also a mental standpoint in the game,” Mendoza said during a virtual press conference in November, per Michael Niziolak of The Bloomington Herald-Times.
“He’s been such a blessing and honestly one of the biggest reasons I’ve been having the season we’ve had so far.”
Mendoza later singled out Whitmer again during his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, further highlighting the strong relationship between the two.
That connection is something the Buccaneers will hope carries over to Tampa Bay with Baker Mayfield.
Whitmer also steps into an organization that has seen significant offensive turnover in recent years. The Buccaneers are on their fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Byron Leftwich and Josh Grizzard were fired, while Dave Canales and Liam Coen were each poached for head coaching jobs after just one successful season in Tampa Bay.
If Robinson follows a similar path and earns a bigger opportunity elsewhere, Whitmer would naturally emerge as a leading candidate to step into the offensive coordinator role. Better yet, he could even begin laying the groundwork to become a future head coaching candidate with the Buccaneers.
Todd Bowles’ seat is red-hot, and Tampa Bay could find itself on the coaching carousel again next offseason if the team fails to show real progress in 2026. If the organization commits to Mayfield as its quarterback of the future and he builds a strong working relationship with Whitmer, that endorsement could carry real weight.
Bringing Whitmer onto the staff is one of the most encouraging and intriguing moves the Buccaneers have made this offseason.
Between Robinson’s electric introductory press conference and now a home run hire at quarterbacks coach, it’s hard not to be excited about what this could mean for Mayfield and the offense moving forward.