Monte Kiffin, the legendary coach and father of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, has passed away at the age of 84.
Monte, who is considered the architect of the Tampa II’s defensive strategy, worked alongside his son as a player personnel analyst.
“As his grandson Knox said, he is free from pain and smiling down on us from heaven. Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time,” the University of Mississippi said in a statement.
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Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Monte Kiffin speaks after being inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor during halftime of the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on September 19, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Kiffin coached seven college and eight NFL teams during a career that spanned nearly six decades, but his first job was as a graduate assistant at 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 1977-79, he took his first and only head coaching job at North Carolina State, where he compiled a 16-17 record in his three seasons there.
Monte Kiffin attends a game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Mississippi Rebels at Kyle Field on Oct. 29, 2022, in College Station, Texas. (Tim Werner/Getty Images)
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He moved to the NFL the following year and bounced around the country before returning to college in 2009.
Kiffin finally found success in the NFL as defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their 2003 Super Bowl victory. He is engraved on the team’s ring of honor.
“Monte Kiffin was a beloved and iconic member of the Buccaneers family and our entire organization mourns his loss,” the Glazer family said in a statement.
“Off the field, Monte was kind, loyal, respectful and always had a positive attitude. He was a very special member of the Buccaneers organization and our family.”
Tennessee football team coach Lane Kiffin (left) and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin at the Neyland Thompson Sports Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Feb. 5, 2009. (Darren Carroll/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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Kiffin’s last NFL stint was in 2016 as a defensive assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Lane posted two old photos with his father. “My hero,” she captioned the photo.
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