Monte Kiffin, the coaching legend and father of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, has passed away at the age of 84.
Monte, credited as the mastermind behind Tampa 2's defensive scheme, had been working alongside his son as a player personnel analyst.
“As his grandson Knox said, he is no longer in 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Monte Kiffin speaks after being inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor during halftime of a 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 at seven universities and with eight NFL teams over his nearly six-decade career. 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 to 1979, he landed his first and only head coaching job at NC State, compiling 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 October 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 bounced around in various NFL circles until returning to the college ranks in 2009.
Kiffin eventually found success in the NFL 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, courteous 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, Tennessee, on February 5, 2009. (Darren Carroll/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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Kiffin's last NFL job was 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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