The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense was not as good in 2025 as it was in 2024. In an attempt to get back to their old ways, the team has hired Zac Robinson as their new offensive coordinator. While he is a fresh face in Tampa Bay, Bowles noted that there is familiarity between what Robinson is teaching and what former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen used to preach in 2024.
“For the guys that were here, there is some familiarity; there were other guys that weren’t even here,” noted Bowles. “It is the same as a few things, but there are still a lot of wrinkles.”
While Robinson has not worked with the Buccaneers and is not familiar with too many players, he does bring a background very similar to Coen, and the two have crossed paths in their coaching careers.
Coen was the Los Angeles Rams assistant wide receivers coach from 2018-19 before being their assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020. Coen left, but returned to be the Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2022.
At the same time, the Rams hired Robinson in 2019, and he split time between assistant quarterbacks and wide receivers coach from 2019-21. Then, he moved up to passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022-23, so he worked directly under Coen in 2022.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Trying to Bring Back Liam Coen’s Offensive Success
GettyBaker Mayfield can anticipate a new contract with the Buccaneers.
When Coen was the Bucs’ offensive coordinator in 2024, Baker Mayfield finished fifth in Expected Points Added per play. When the Bucs moved on to Josh Grizzard in 2025, he dropped to 19th in that same stat. That is not a direct impact of the play calling, as other factors added to it, but the Bucs were clearly a better offense when Coen was running things.
With Robinson, they are not getting the exact same thing, but there is enough familiarity for some players, and the new players understand that this is what worked.
More than anything, if it works, the offense works well with Baker Mayfield.
Zac Robinson was hired to help Baker Mayfield
Mayfield revived his career when the Los Angeles Rams claimed him off waivers, and he won them a pivotal Thursday Night Football game. His offensive coordinator was Coen, and his quarterbacks coach was Robison.
So, while it does matter that Chris Godwin knows the offense, and that Bucky Irving excelled with Coen but was not as impactful under Grizzard, the reason this hire makes sense is Mayfield.
Mayfield is more comfortable with the outside zone concepts and being able to boot leg and simplify his reads. Robinson saw what worked for him with the Rams; he saw what Coen did two years ago, and now he has to bring that back out of Mayfield.
There is plenty of reasons to buy into the Buccaneers this year. Kenneth Gainwell is added as a great pass-catching complement to Bucky Irving. While Mike Evans is gone, it opens the door for up-and-coming receivers like Jalen McMillan and Ted Hurst. More than anything, the offensive line looks much healthier on paper than things turned out.
So, there could be a strong resurgence under Robinson without him doing much. However, he could also get the Bucs back to their 2024 offense, which was a true contender. That is why he was hired.
Buccaneers Offense Has Familiar Feel Under Zac Robinson at OTAs