{{Short description|American football coach (born 1967)}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Ken Zampese | image = Ken Zampese (cropped).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Zampese with the Washington Football Team in 2020 | current_team = Tampa Bay Buccaneers | position1 = Senior offensive assistant | position2 = Pass game specialist | career_position1 = WR | career_position2 = Return specialist | career_number = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|7|19}} | birth_place = [[Santa Monica, California]], U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | high_school = [[University of San Diego High School|San Diego (CA) University]] | college = [[San Diego Toreros football|San Diego]] (1985-1988) | pastcoaching = * [[USC Trojans football|USC]] (1990–1991)<br>Graduate assistant * {{ubl|[[Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football|Northern Arizona]] (1992–1995)}} ** {{ubl|Wide receivers coach (1992–1994)}} ** {{ubl|Offensive coordinator (1995)}} * [[Miami Redhawks football|Miami (OH)]] (1996–1997)<br>Quarterbacks coach & passing game coordinator * [[Philadelphia Eagles]] ({{nfly|1998}})<br>Offensive assistant * [[Green Bay Packers]] ({{nfly|1999}})<br>Offensive assistant & offensive quality control coach * {{ubl|[[St. Louis Rams]] ({{nfly|2000|2002}})}} ** {{ubl|Offensive assistant ({{nfly|2000}})}} ** {{ubl|Wide receivers coach ({{nfly|2001}})}} ** {{ubl|Wide receivers coach & passing game coordinator ({{nfly|2002}})}} * {{ubl|[[Cincinnati Bengals]] ({{nfly|2003|2017}})}} ** {{ubl|Quarterbacks coach ({{nfly|2003|2015}})}} ** {{ubl|Offensive coordinator ({{nfly|2016|2017}})}} * [[Cleveland Browns]] ({{nfly|2018}}) <br> Quarterbacks coach * [[Atlanta Legends]] (2019)<br>Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach * [[Florida Gators football|Florida]] (2019)<br>Quality control analyst * {{ubl|[[Washington Football Team / Commanders]] ({{nfly|2020|2023}})}} ** {{ubl|Quarterbacks coach ({{nfly|2020|2022}})}} ** {{ubl|Senior offensive advisor / game management ({{nfly|2023}})}} * [[Atlanta Falcons]] ({{nfly|2024|2025}})<br>Senior offensive assistant * [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] ({{nfly|2026}}–present)<br>Senior offensive assistant/pass game specialist | highlights = | pfrcoach = ZampKe0 }}
'''Kenneth Zampese''' (born July 19, 1967) is an American professional [[American football|football]] coach who currently serves as a senior offensive assistant and pass game specialist for the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). Zampese began his coaching career at the [[University of San Diego]], his alma mater, and has held a variety of college and NFL coaching positions. He is the son of former NFL coach [[Ernie Zampese]].
==Family background== Zampese's father, [[Ernie Zampese]], spent 36 years as a coach in the NFL with the [[New York Jets]], [[San Diego Chargers]], [[Dallas Cowboys]], [[New England Patriots]], [[Washington Redskins]], and both the [[Los Angeles Rams]] and [[St. Louis Rams]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 29, 2022 |title=Innovative former NFL OC Ernie Zampese dies at age 86 |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34481952/innovative-former-nfl-oc-ernie-zampese-dies-age-86 |access-date=29 August 2022 |website=[[ESPN.com]]|agency=Associated Press|via=Reuters}}</ref> Ernie Zampese is known best for his role on the Chargers' offensive coaching staff in the 1970s and 1980s, when he helped engineer the famed [[Air Coryell]] offense. The offense is still considered one of the best passing offenses in NFL history—featured Hall of Famers [[Dan Fouts]], [[Charlie Joiner]] and [[Kellen Winslow]], along with [[John Jefferson (American football)|John Jefferson]] and [[Wes Chandler]]. These dynamic players operated in a scheme that led the league in passing yards an NFL-record six consecutive seasons (1978–1983).
Zampese attended the [[University of San Diego]] from 1985 to 1988, where he played on the football team as a [[wide receiver]], [[kick returner]] and [[punt returner]]. He was also a member of the [[Sigma Pi]] fraternity.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Smith|first=Andrew|date=Winter 2002|volume=88|number=1|magazine=The Emerald of Sigma Pi|title=Sigma Pi on the Gridiron|pages=4, 26–27|url=http://www.enivation.com/SigmaPi/archive/Emerald/2002/SP_EMERALD_VOL_88_NO_1_WINTER_2002.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809213123/http://www.enivation.com/SigmaPi/archive/Emerald/2002/SP_EMERALD_VOL_88_NO_1_WINTER_2002.pdf|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 9, 2016}}</ref>
==Career== ===Early coaching=== Zampese began his NFL coaching career in 1998 as an offensive assistant with the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] under head coach [[Ray Rhodes]]. In 1999, Rhodes became head coach of the [[Green Bay Packers]], and Zampese followed. He again worked as offensive assistant, mentored by quarterbacks coach [[Mike McCarthy]]. Packer quarterbacks of that era were [[Brett Favre]], [[Matt Hasselbeck]] and [[Aaron Brooks (American football)|Aaron Brooks]].
===St. Louis Rams=== Zampese joined the [[St. Louis Rams]] in 2000 as an offensive assistant under head coach [[Mike Martz]]. He was promoted the following season to WRs coach, and again the next season to WRs coach/passing game coordinator. During his stint in St. Louis, Zampese assisted Martz with the passing game of what became known as "[[The Greatest Show on Turf]]" – a nickname for the Rams' high-powered, record-setting offense. It was here that he gained additional exposure to the "3-Digit" passing system, pioneered by his father and expanded to new heights under Martz.
Quarterback [[Kurt Warner]] (and backups [[Trent Green]] and [[Marc Bulger]]), Hall of Fame RB [[Marshall Faulk]], and WRs [[Isaac Bruce]], [[Torry Holt]], [[Az-Zahir Hakim]] and [[Ricky Proehl]] made up what is widely considered the most prolific offense in NFL history.
Although "The Greatest Show on Turf" began its record-setting run a year prior to Zampese's arrival in St. Louis – the [[Super Bowl XXXIV|1999 Super Bowl XXXIV Rams' Super Bowl championship]] season – it lasted three seasons (1999–2001), and he was with the Rams for the final two seasons of the run (2000–01).
===Cincinnati Bengals=== Zampese joined the [[Cincinnati Bengals]] in 2003 as quarterbacks coach at a time when the team was searching for a quarterback to lead the franchise. He aided in the scouting and evaluation of the quarterbacks in the [[2003 NFL draft]], as the team used its No. 1 overall pick to select 2002 [[Heisman Trophy]]-winning quarterback [[Carson Palmer]] of Southern California. On September 15, 2017, Zampese was fired by the Bengals after the team started the season 0–2 and did not score a single touchdown.<ref>{{cite web|last=Patra|first=Kevin|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/bengals-fire-offensive-coordinator-ken-zampese-0ap3000000845642|title=Bengals fire offensive coordinator Ken Zampese|publisher=[[National Football League]]|date=September 15, 2017|access-date=March 3, 2019}}</ref>
===Cleveland Browns=== On January 12, 2018, Zampese was hired by the [[Cleveland Browns]] as quarterbacks coach, reuniting him with Browns head coach and former Bengals offensive coordinator [[Hue Jackson]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Cabot|first=Mary Kay|url=https://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2018/01/browns_hiring_ken_zampese_as_q.html|title=Browns hiring Ken Zampese as quarterbacks coach in reunion with Hue Jackson|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=January 12, 2018|accessdate=March 3, 2019}}</ref> After the 2018 season, during which Jackson was fired, he was not retained by new head coach [[Freddie Kitchens]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Clark|first=Dave|url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/01/09/report-quarterbacks-coach-ken-zampese-out-cleveland-browns/2528932002/|title=Report: Ken Zampese won't be part of Freddie Kitchens' Cleveland Browns staff|newspaper=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]|date=January 9, 2019|accessdate=March 3, 2019}}</ref>
===Atlanta Legends=== In the [[2019 AAF season]], the [[Atlanta Legends]] were plagued by various offensive coaching resignations, including head coach [[Brad Childress]] and offensive coordinator [[Michael Vick]] before the season, and quarterbacks coach/play caller [[Richard Bartel]] after three games.<ref>{{cite web|last=Crabtree|first=Curtis|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/02/25/atlanta-aaf-team-loses-another-offensive-coach-as-rich-bartel-resigns/|title=Atlanta AAF team loses another offensive coach as Rich Bartel resigns|publisher=[[Profootballtalk.com]]|date=February 25, 2019|accessdate=March 3, 2019}}</ref> Zampese was hired by the Legends starting with the fourth game against the [[Arizona Hotshots]].<ref>{{cite tweet|last=Perloff|first=Andrew|user=andrewperloff|number=1102412469471977472|date=March 3, 2019|title=Interesting @TheAAF note... former Bengals OC, Browns QBs coach Ken Zampese came aboard to run offense for @AafLegends this week and helped QB Aaron Murray lead them win tonight. Zampese was with Andy Dalton for long time and Baker Mayfield last year.|accessdate=March 3, 2019}}</ref>
===Washington Football Team / Commanders=== In 2020, Zampese joined the [[Washington Football Team]] as their quarterbacks coach.<ref>{{cite web |title=Redskins Announce Coaching Staff |url=https://www.redskins.com/news/announcements/redskins-announce-coaching-staff |website=Redskins.com |accessdate=15 January 2020}}</ref> In 2023, Zampese was given a senior offensive advisor/game management role.<ref>{{cite web|work=Commanders.com|url=https://www.commanders.com/news/commanders-announce-staff-changes|title=Commanders announce staff changes|date=February 28, 2023|accessdate=March 1, 2023|author=Washington Commanders Public Relations}}</ref> He was not retained following the firing of [[Ron Rivera]] and hiring of new head coach [[Dan Quinn (American football)|Dan Quinn]].
===Atlanta Falcons=== Zampese was hired as a senior offensive assistant for the [[Atlanta Falcons]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Charean |author-link=Charean Williams |date=2024-02-03 |title=Falcons announce six more assistants, including Tim Berbenich, Ken Zampese |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/falcons-announce-six-more-assistants-including-tim-berbenich-ken-zampese |access-date=2024-08-23 |website=NBC Sports |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Tampa Bay Buccaneers=== On February 2, 2026, the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] hired Zampese to serve as a senior offensive assistant under head coach [[Todd Bowles]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former UNC QB T.J. Yates joining Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coaching staff|url=https://www.tarheeltimes.com/article164257.aspx|access-date=February 7, 2026|website=tarheeltimes.com|language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Twitter}} * [https://www.buccaneers.com/team/coaches-roster/ken-zampese Tampa Bay Buccaneers profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zampese, Ken}} [[Category:1967 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Santa Maria, California]] [[Category:University of San Diego alumni]] [[Category:American football wide receivers]] [[Category:American football return specialists]] [[Category:USC Trojans football coaches]] [[Category:NFL offensive coordinators]] [[Category:Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football coaches]] [[Category:Miami RedHawks football coaches]] [[Category:Philadelphia Eagles coaches]] [[Category:Green Bay Packers coaches]] [[Category:St. Louis Rams coaches]] [[Category:Cincinnati Bengals coaches]] [[Category:Atlanta Falcons coaches]] [[Category:Atlanta Legends coaches]] [[Category:Washington Commanders coaches]] [[Category:Washington Football Team coaches]] [[Category:Coaches of American football from California]] [[Category:Sigma Pi members]]