Monte Kiffin was an NFL coach for more than 50 years known as an innovative defensive coordinator and creator of the widely imitated “Tampa 2” defense.
- Died: July 11, 2024 (Who else died on July 11?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 84.
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Monte Kiffin’s legacy
Nebraska native Monte Kiffin held offensive and defensive tackle spots in his early athletic days, playing with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1959 to 1963, then professionally in the Continental Football League in the 1960s. He began his road towards becoming a football legend, however, when he became a defensive coach for Nebraska in 1966. In 1970 and ’71, he led the defenses for the team’s back-to-back undefeated championship teams.
Kiffin coached for several other schools in the 1970s, then in 1983 made the leap to the NFL. He spent time with five different squads before landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996. There, he developed his famed “Tampa 2” defense, a modification of “Cover 2” that proved to be successful and has since been widely imitated. It even helped the team win their first Super Bowl in 2003. At least twice, Kiffin turned down head coaching positions elsewhere to stay with the Bucs.
He eventually left the Buccaneers in 2008 and worked with several other teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, plus had a three-year stint with the University of Southern California, where son Lane Kiffin was head coach. His younger son, Chris, is also an NFL coach. Since 2020, Kiffin worked as a player personnel analyst for the University of Mississippi with his older son, and he has been inducted into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor, its only assistant coach.
Tributes to Monte Kiffin
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
