 Kiffin in 2009 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1940-02-29)February 29, 1940 Lexington, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | July 11, 2024(2024-07-11) (aged 84) Oxford, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lexington (NE) |
| College | Nebraska |
| NFL draft | 1964: 15th round, 202nd overall pick |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Coaching | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | NCAA: 16–17 (.485) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Monte George Kiffin (February 29, 1940 – July 11, 2024) was an Americanfootball coach. He is widely considered to have been one of the preeminentdefensive coordinators in modern football, as well as one of the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL history. Father of the widely imitated "Tampa 2" defense, Kiffin's concepts are among the most influential in modern college and pro football.[1]
He spent nearly 30 years as an NFL assistant coach, including 13 years as defensive coordinator for theTampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he wonSuper Bowl XXXVII. His defensive units finished ranked in the top 10 in points allowed and yards allowed 10 times during that period, an NFL record.[2] Later in his career, he worked with his sonLane, who has served as the head coach of several majorcollege programs.
Kiffin earned a reported $2 million annual salary during his time with Buccaneers and turned down several NFL head coaching jobs during his career. His only head coaching job was atNorth Carolina State University from 1980 to 1982.
A native ofLexington, Nebraska, Kiffin was an offensive and defensive tackle at theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1959 to 1963.[3] In 1966, he played 8 games with theToronto Rifles of theContinental Football League and also was a member of theBrooklyn Dodgers of the same league. After a brief stint as a defensive end for theWinnipeg Blue Bombers, Kiffin returned to Nebraska as a defensive coach. Kiffin was the defensive coordinator at Nebraska under legendary coach,Bob Devaney. He coached the defenses of Nebraska's 1970 and 1971 back-to-back undefeated national champion teams. After thenoffensive coordinatorTom Osborne was selected as the head coach in 1973, Kiffin remained as the defensive coordinator. In 1977, he moved to theUniversity of Arkansas, and then in 1980, he got his one and only head coaching job atNorth Carolina State University. In three seasons as head coach, he went 16–17.[4]
After his time at NC State, Kiffin began a series of short stints in the NFL for theGreen Bay Packers,Buffalo Bills,Minnesota Vikings (twice),New York Jets, andNew Orleans Saints. In 1996, he became the defensive coordinator for the Buccaneers.[5]
AfterTony Dungy was dismissed by the Buccaneer front office following the 2001 season, Kiffin was persuaded by incoming head coachJon Gruden to remain in Tampa and continue to run his defense. Kiffin had been interviewed for a head coaching position with theSan Francisco 49ers. With the seamless transition on defense allowing the new coaching staff to focus intently on a more potent offensive philosophy, the result was an immediate balance between offense and defense that carried the Buccaneers to the organization's first championship inSuper Bowl XXXVII on January 26, 2003, inSan Diego, California.[6][7]
Controversy surrounded Kiffin's departure from Tampa Bay. AfterLane Kiffin signed with Tennessee, Tampa's typically stout defense underperformed. The Bucs lost their final four games of the 2008 season, ending up 9–7, and missed the playoffs.[8] Reports stated that Gruden refused to allow Kiffin to announce his departure to Tennessee mid-season. Allegations were made that Kiffin refused to participate in normal coaching meetings. Neither Kiffin norJon Gruden openly discussed these events.
Kiffin spent one season as the Tennessee Volunteers defensive coordinator.[9] Monte joined theUniversity of Southern California coaching staff as defensive coordinator, after his sonLane Kiffin became the head coach.[10]
On January 11, 2013, following the 2012 NFL season, Kiffin was hired as defensive coordinator for theDallas Cowboys.[11] Kiffin was demoted on January 28, 2014, in favor of defensive line coachRod Marinelli.[12] At the end of the 2014 season Kiffin's contract was allowed to lapse, and it was not renewed by the Cowboys.[13]
Kiffin joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as a defensive assistant in March 2016.[14] He joined Lane at Florida Atlantic for three seasons as a defensive assistant from 2017–2019.[15] When Lane went to Ole Miss, he joined as a player personnel analyst for four seasons.[16]
Monte Kiffin is the mastermind behind theTampa 2 scheme, which is a slight modification of theCover 2 scheme.[17]
Kiffin was married and had three children. His sons are both football coaches. His older son,Lane, played football atFresno State before entering coaching. He was the head coach of theOakland Raiders,Tennessee Volunteers,USC Trojans, andFlorida Atlantic Owls, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for theAlabama Crimson Tide, the head coach of theMississippi Rebels, and currently is the head coach of theLSU Tigers. Monte Kiffin's younger son,Chris, played football atColorado State and was most recently the linebackers coach for theHouston Texans.[18]
Kiffin died inOxford, Mississippi on July 11, 2024, at the age of 84.[19]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC State Wolfpack(Atlantic Coast Conference)(1980–1982) | |||||||||
| 1980 | NC State | 6–5 | 3–3 | 3rd | |||||
| 1981 | NC State | 4–7 | 2–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1982 | NC State | 6–5 | 3–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| NC State: | 16–17 | 8–10 | |||||||
| Total: | 16–17 | ||||||||