Chandler Whitmer is headed to the NFL.
The former UConn quarterback, who’s rapidly rising through the coaching ranks, has been hired as the new quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to multiple sources. After a standout season developing Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza at Indiana, Whitmer drew interest from several NFL teams but ultimately chose to join the Bucs’ staff.
It’s been a winding road for the Chicagoland native, who’s turned a turbulent college playing career into a fast-track coaching ascent. A former four-star recruit, Whitmer began his college journey at Illinois but transferred after redshirting his freshman year. He took a detour through junior college before landing at UConn, where he was named the starter in 2012 under then-head coach Paul Pasqualoni.
That first season in Storrs was a rough one. While Whitmer showed flashes of talent, he also set a program FBS-era record with 16 interceptions, surpassing Dan Orlovsky’s previous mark. Over the next two seasons, he made 16 more appearances and improved statistically, but the Huskies struggled mightily, going just 2-14 in games he played.
But Whitmer’s coaching journey has been a different story entirely.
He got his start in 2019 as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, and from there, the climb was steady and impressive. He broke into the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers as a quality control assistant, then moved on to become the passing game coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. Most recently, he helped guide Mendoza to a Heisman season at Indiana, a performance that turned heads around the league and helped propel Whitmer into serious NFL consideration.
Now, Whitmer will be tasked with helping revive the Bucs’ passing game - and he’ll have a familiar name under center in Baker Mayfield, a fellow Heisman winner. Mayfield had a resurgent 2024 season, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns as Tampa Bay won 10 games. But this past year saw a sharp dip in production - nearly a 25% drop - as injuries piled up and breakout wideout Emeka Egbuka regressed from his rookie form.
Whitmer’s job will be to help get Mayfield and the offense back on track. And if his work with Mendoza is any indication, the Bucs may have found the right guy to do it.
Back in Bloomington, Indiana is turning to another familiar face to take over the quarterback room. Tino Sunseri, who played at Pitt from 2009 to 2012, is returning to the Hoosiers after previously serving as the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2024. Sunseri once lit up UConn for 419 yards and two touchdowns in a 2011 win, but lost the rematch in 2012 - a head-to-head battle against none other than Whitmer.
Now, the two former Big East quarterbacks are both shaping the next generation - one in the NFL, the other back in the Big Ten.