With the most critical position on the coaching staff filled with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have added 4 new assistants — 3 on offense and 1 on defense — and parted ways with one key offensive assistant.
“The Buccaneers are expected to move on from passing game coordinator Kefense Hynson,” NFL on CBS analyst Jonathan Jones wrote on X on Thursday. “He helped coordinate a top-10 third-down offense in his lone year in Tampa and is expected to garner interest elsewhere in the NFL.”
The Buccaneer also added former Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Marcus West, who will fill the same role for the Buccaneers.
“Confirmed also coming aboard Oklahoma State OL Coach Andrew Mitchell as their assistant OL Coach,” Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud wrote on X. “He was teammates with new Bucs OC Zac Robinson at Oklahoma State … Bucs also are hiring former Falcons assistants T.J. Yates and senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese.”
Yates will be the offense passive game coordinator and Zampese, the son of legendary NFL offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese, will be a senior offensive assistant.
Hynson’s One Season in NFL Ends With Firing
Hynson spent 22 seasons as a college assistant, including his last 7 years with Oregon State coach before getting his first NFL coaching opportunity with the Buccaneers in 2025.
Tampa Bay’s offense started off on fire but fell apart down the stretch as the Buccaneers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019. A big part of the team’s struggles came in the passing game, where veteran Pro Bowlers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were missing for large chunks of the season due to injuries.
Getting Falcons Assistants: Not the Greatest Thing
From a glass half-empty perspective, one might say the Buccaneers have just raided the offensive coaching staff of the Falcons, where Robinson was the offensive coordinator for the last 2 seasons under Raheem Morris, who was fired on January 4.
Taking a coordinator and a bunch of assistants from a team that wasn’t any better on offense than the Falcons doesn’t seem like the smartest move.
Tampa Bay fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard after one season in which the Buccaneers went from third in the NFL in team offense in 2024 to 21st in 2025.
The Falcons actually finished sixth in the NFL in team offense before dropping to 14th in 2025.
Mayfield Key to Unlocking Tampa Bay’s Offense
How one player flourishes or struggles will determine how high the Buccaneers can climb in 2026 — quarterback Baker Mayfield.
We may never see a more motivated version of Mayfield than we’ll see next season, as he’s in the final season of a 3-year, $100 million contract and could set himself up for a massive extension if he can show he’s still one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks.
“When you have a guy like that, you have a chance to win every single Sunday,” Robinson said in his introductory press conference. “The impact that he has, obviously just as a leader — you can speak to the talent and the type of player he is and all those things, but those guys that give you a chance every single Sunday — and the guys in that locker room know it. It’s a big deal.”
Buccaneers Make Flurry of Coaching Moves; Fire One Key Assistant