It was an anticipated move after the hiring of Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator.
Now it is a reality.
The Bucs have continued their Thursday hiring spree by adding Ken Zampese and T.J. Yates to their coaching staff, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC. The two were on the Falcons’ coaching staff with Robinson, and Zampese even has ties with Baker Mayfield going back to Mayfield’s rookie season.
#Buccaneers officially hired Ken Zampese and T.J. Yates, per league sources @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 29, 2026
Per Greg Auman of Fox Sports, it’s likely that Zampese and Yates keep their same titles that they had in Atlanta. Zampese will be senior offensive assistant and Yates the passing game coordinator.
Bucs Add 2 Former NFC South Coaches To Join Zac Robinson
Ken Zampese was the senior offensive assistant under Zac Robinson for two seasons with the Falcons. However, he has a history with Baker Mayfield that predates even Robinson’s familiarity with Bucs starting quarterback Baker Mayfield when Robinson and Mayfield were on the Rams.
Back in 2018 with the Browns, Zampese was the quarterbacks coach for Mayfield in his rookie year in Cleveland. Mayfield played in 14 games and started in 13 of them, throwing for 3,725 yards with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions having a 6-7 record. It wasn’t too bad for a rookie, but then head coach Hue Jackson was fired and Zampese was not retained.
QB Baker Mayfield and Coach Ken Zampese – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Ken Blaze
Yates has NFL playing experience, spending seven years in the league primarily as a backup quarterback. He played in 22 career games and had 10 starts with 4-6 record but did have two playoff starts and went 1-1. Yates had 2,057 career passing yards with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions before retiring in 2017.
He got into coaching two years later in 2019 as an offensive system on the Houston Texans, the team he played the most for in the NFL. Eventually Yates went to the Falcons in 2021 and has had roles such as passing game specialist, wide receivers coach and quarterbacks coach. Then in 2025, he became the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach with Robinson.
Former Passing Game Coordinator T.J. Yates – Photo by IMAGN Images – Mark J. Rebila
The group of Robinson, Zampese and Yates bring a combination of experience and familiarity in this new stop with the Bucs. Tampa Bay has made a flurry of coaching moves lately. They also hired an assistant offensive line coach and brought in a new defensive line coach, too. Next, they’ll need to name a cornerbacks and safeties coach, but they’ve at least began to reshape this coaching staff in all three phases.
Stay tuned to PewterReport.com and our YouTube channel PewterReportTV for our latest insight and reactions to these moves and the ones to come.
Matt Matera joined Pewter Report as an intern in 2018 and worked his way to becoming a full-time Bucs beat writer in 2020. In addition to providing daily coverage of the Bucs for Pewter Report, he also spearheads the Pewter Report Podcast on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel. Matera also makes regular in-season radio appearances analyzing Bucs football on WDAE 95.3 FM, the flagship station of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
