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Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
Monte Kiffin, a defensive wizard who spent more than 50 years coaching in the NFL and collegiate ranks, died Thursday at age 84, Ole Miss announced.
Kiffin, whose son Lane is the head coach at Ole Miss, was surrounded by family and friends. He had been a defensive analyst for his son’s team since 2020.
“As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above,” the school said in a post to X. “Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.”
Monte Kiffin, 84, peacefully passed away today in Oxford surrounded by family and friends. 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. pic.twitter.com/eM1HT2lGHx
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) July 11, 2024
Kiffin spent 13 seasons as defensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His work with Tony Dungy to build the vaunted “Tampa 2” scheme helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl in 2002 and was copied by several other teams around the league.
During Kiffin’s tenure with Tampa Bay, its defense allowed the fewest points per game (17.5) while ranking second in both yards allowed per game (286.8) and total takeaways (293).
“That defense that Monte coordinated was the best unit that had ever played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Monte was the coordinator of it,” former Bucs safety John Lynch told the team’s website. “He became part of the fabric of the Tampa community; he was so beloved.”
Three years ago, Kiffin became the first — and only — assistant coach in the Bucs’ Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium.
The Glazer family, the owners of the Bucs, called Kiffin a “beloved and iconic member of the Buccaneers family.”
“As a coach, Monte was a true innovator who got the best out of his players and helped create one of the signature defenses of the early 2000s,” the family said. “His passionate and energetic leadership style resonated with all his players, and he was instrumental in our first Super Bowl win and the success of Hall of Famers such as Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber.”
Kiffin spent 25 years in the NFL, having also served as a coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys.
In March, he was honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame through its Awards for Excellence program.
Kiffin began his career in 1966 as a graduate assistant at Nebraska following his playing career, learning from Hall of Famers Tom Osborne and Bob Devaney. Within four years he had his first defensive coordinator job, at Nebraska in 1970, and worked his way up to becoming head coach at NC State from 1980 to 1982. Kiffin went 16-17 in those three seasons, his only stint as a head coach.
From there, he moved on to the NFL as linebackers coach with the Green Bay Packers in 1983.
Monte Kiffin spent the bulk of his later years working for Lane Kiffin — first as defensive coordinator at Tennessee in 2009, then at USC from 2010 to 2012, then as a defensive analyst at FAU and Ole Miss, where he served as an analyst since Lane became head coach in 2020.
Earlier Thursday, Lane posted photos of himself as a child with his father on X, writing, “My hero.”
My Hero 💜♥️ @NCStateFB @Vikings pic.twitter.com/gHPAbrUQF1
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) July 11, 2024
Monte Kiffin’s other son, Chris, has been a coach for the Rebels and in the NFL. Monte and his wife, Robin, also have a daughter, Heidi.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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