Monte Kiffin, the longtime defensive coordinator at both the NFL and college levels who became the innovator behind the renowned “Tampa 2” defense, died Wednesday at age 84. The father of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, the elder Kiffin’s coaching career stretched back to 1966 when he started as a graduate assistant at Nebraska. He was most recently a player personnel analyst for the Rebels.
“As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above,” a social media statement from the university said. “Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.”
Kiffin’s “Tampa 2” defense was a variant of Tony Dungy’s “Cover 2” that helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII. He worked with numerous NFL and college teams as an assistant coach, mostly coaching linebackers and serving as defensive coordinator. He also served as the coach at NC State from 1980-1982, where he compiled a 16-17 record.
In addition to Lane, Monte’s youngest son Chris also followed his father in the coaching profession and currently serves as the linebackers coach for the Houston Texans.
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