Head coach Todd Bowles will return for 2026, but the Buccaneers fired OC Josh Grizzard. Todd Monken and Alex Van Pelt are candidates to lead Baker Mayfield.
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles has survived the NFL’s “Black Monday” and will be returning for the 2026 season, but after missing the playoffs for the first time as the head coach of the Buccaneers and the first time the team has missed the playoffs since 2020, all signs are pointing to several coaching changes for next season.
Although the Buccaneers (8-9) finished the season with a 16-14 win against the Carolina Panthers (8-9), the Atlanta Falcons’ win against the New Orleans Saints in the final week of the regular season bounced Tampa Bay from the playoffs. After the loss, the initial speculation centered on whether or not Bowles would keep his job. Now that Bowles will be back, speculation turned to whether or not offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard would be back next season.
That answer came today as Tampa Bay fired Grizzard.
Bucs’ Regression
After serving as the Buccaneers’ pass game coordinator in 2024 under former offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Grizzard was promoted to the OC position in 2025 but the Tampa Bay offense regressed considerably.
In 2024, under Coen, the Bucs were top five in every major offensive category. Tampa Bay was No. 3 in the NFL in total yards per game (399.5) and passing yards per game (250.4), and No. 4 in rushing yards per game (149.2) and points per game (29.5). This season, under Grizzard, the offense fell to the middle of the league in the same categories. Tampa Bay finished this season No. 21 in the NFL in total yards per game (320.4), No. 20 in passing yards per game (205.9), No. 21 in rushing yards per game (114.5) and No. 18 in points per game (22.4).
More damning for Grizzard was how the Buccaneers finished the 2025 season. Heading into their Week 9 bye Tampa Bay was 6-2, but then finished the season 2-7 and lost four of their last five games. After the bye week the Buccaneers managed just 20.3 points per game and scored 20 points or less in six of their final seven games.
Possible Replacements
If Bowles does decide to move on from Grizzard, Tampa Bay and quarterback Baker Mayfield will have their fifth different offensive play caller in as many years.
Names such as Kevin Stefanski, Brian Daboll and Kliff Kingsbury are considered to be the “hot names” in the 2026 coaching cycle, but such names will most likely be considered as head coaching candidates—not as offensive coordinators. With those coaches most likely off the list of candidates, who does Bowles turn to run his offense?
Two potential names could be Todd Monken and Alex Van Pelt, who both have ties to the Buccaneers.
Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens coordinator Todd Monken on the field before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn ImagesMonken has served as the Baltimore Ravens OC since 2023, but served in the same position for the Bucs from 2016 to 2017. When Coen left Tampa Bay to be the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2024 season, the Buccaneers did interview Monken for the position, but he had turned down the job and stayed with the Ravens. Despite the Ravens missing quarterback Lamar Jackson for several games, Baltimore finished No. 2 in the NFL in rushing yards per game (156.6) and No. 11 in the league in points per game (24.9). Monken is currently under contract with the Ravens but head coach John Harbaugh and the organization recently agreed to part ways, leaving Monken’s future in doubt.
Van Pelt was the Tampa Bay quarterbacks coach from 2010-2011, but more importantly was Mayfield’s offensive coordinator in Cleveland in 2020 and 2021. In his first season as Cleveland’s OC the Browns advanced to the playoffs after finishing 11-5 and were No. 16 in the NFL in total yards per game (369.6). In Mayfield’s final season in Cleveland the Browns missed the playoffs after finishing 8-9 and were No. 18 in total yards per game (340.6). More recently, Van Pelt was the OC for the New England Patriots in 2024 and this season served as a senior offensive assistant for the Los Angeles Rams.
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