Monte Kiffin, the coaching legend and father of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, has died at the age of 84.
Monte, credited as the mastermind of the Tampa 2 defensive scheme, had been working alongside his son as a player personnel analyst.
“As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above. Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time,” Ole Miss said in a statement.
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Former coach Monte Kiffin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers speaks after being inducted into the Buc’s Ring of Honor during halftime of a game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium Sept. 19, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Kiffin coached at seven universities and with eight NFL teams throughout his nearly six-decade career. His first job was as a graduate assistant with the University of Nebraska.
He was the defensive coordinator when the Cornhuskers won back-to-back national championships in 1970 and 1971.
After serving as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator from 1977 to 1979, he got his first, and only, head coaching job at N.C. State, going 16-17 in his three seasons there.
Monte Kiffin attends a game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Mississippi Rebels at Kyle Field Oct. 29, 2022, in College Station, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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He made the jump to the NFL the following year and jumped around NFL circles until going back to the college ranks in 2009.
Kiffin finally found NFL success as defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their 2003 Super Bowl victory. He is in the franchise’s Ring of Honor.
“Monte Kiffin was a beloved and iconic member of the Buccaneers family, and our entire organization mourns his loss today,” the Glazer family said in a statement.
“Off the field, Monte was kind, genuine, gracious and always had a positive attitude. He was very special to the Buccaneers organization and our family.”
Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin, left, and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin at the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center in Knoxville, Tenn., Feb. 5, 2009. (Darren Carroll /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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Kiffin’s last NFL gig was back in 2016 when he served as a defensive assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Lane posted two photos of himself with his father from the old days, captioning it, “My hero.”
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