Legendary Coach Monte Kiffin, Architect of the ‘Tampa-2’ Defense, Passes Away at 84

Monte Kiffin, a famous football coach, passed away on Thursday at 84 years old. He was known for his great defensive skills and left a lasting impact on both college football and the NFL.

He died peacefully in Oxford, Mississippi, surrounded by family and friends, as confirmed by his grandson Knox, who said Kiffin is now “free of pain and smiling down on us from above.”

Kiffin started his coaching career in 1966 at Nebraska, where he had studied. Over the years, he became known as a brilliant defensive coach. He worked at seven universities and seven NFL teams, including being the defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints in 1995 and the Minnesota Vikings in 1991.

His biggest contribution to football was creating the Tampa-2 defense, a special version of Tony Dungy’s “Cover 2.” This defense became famous when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2008. His defense was one of the best in NFL history.

In 2002, Kiffin’s defense helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII. That year, the Bucs’ defense allowed only 12.3 points per game.

In the Super Bowl, they made five interceptions and scored three defensive touchdowns, showing their amazing skills.

He not only coached some of the best defensive players but also helped many coaches who later became NFL head coaches. This includes Mike Tomlin, whom Kiffin hired as a young defensive backs coach, and Raheem Morris.

Kiffin also had a big impact in college football. He was the head coach at NC State from 1980 to 1982 and later worked with his son Lane Kiffin at schools like Tennessee, Southern Cal, FAU, and Ole Miss.

Recently, he was a player personnel analyst for Ole Miss, helping his son’s team.

Monte Kiffin is survived by his wife, Robin, and his children, Heidi, Chris, and Lane. Lane Kiffin, the head coach at Ole Miss, often talked about how much his father influenced his coaching style and relationships with players and staff.