Steve Nesius/AP
Monte Kiffin has died at the age of 84.
CNN
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Monte Kiffin, a veteran NFL and college coach, has died at the age of 84, the University of Mississippi announced Thursday.
Kiffin died peacefully in Oxford, Mississippi, surrounded by friends and family, the school said.
“As his grandson Knox said, he is pain free and smiling down on us from above,” the school said in a statement on social media. “Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.”
Kiffin was a defensive coordinator in the NFL for many years, playing 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys.
He was also credited as the mastermind behind the “Tampa 2” defensive scheme that helped the Buccaneers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII against the Oakland Raiders in 2002.
The Glazer family, which owns the Buccaneers, said Monte was a “beloved and iconic member” of the organization.
“As a coach, Monte was a true innovator who got the best out of his players and helped create one of the signature defenses of the early 2000s,” the Glazer family said in a statement.
“His passionate and energetic leadership style inspired all of his players and he was instrumental in our first Super Bowl victory and the success of Hall of Famers such as Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber. Off the field, Monte was kind, genuine, courteous and always maintained a positive attitude.
“He was very special to the Buccaneers organization and our family. We send our sincere condolences to his wife Robin, sons Lane and Chris, daughter Heidi and the entire Kiffin family.”
Kiffin also served as the defensive coordinator on his son Lane’s staff while at the University of Tennessee in 2009, the University of Southern California from 2010 to 2012, and then as a defensive analyst at Florida Atlantic University.
Lane has been the head coach at Ole Miss since 2020, where Monte serves as an analyst on the staff.
Earlier on Thursday, Lane posted photos of him and his father on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption: “My hero.”