TAMPA, Fla. – Monte Kiffin, a longtime NFL and college assistant coach whose Tampa Bay defenses used to rank among the league’s best, died Thursday. He was 84 years old.
One of the architects of the Tampa 2’s highly successful defensive scheme, Kiffin spent 13 seasons as the Bucs’ defensive coordinator under former coaches Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden from 1996 to 2008 and helped the franchise win the first of its two titles. of the Super Bowl.
The University of Mississippi football program announced on social media platform that Kiffin, who once coached at North Carolina State, died surrounded by family and friends in Oxford, Mississippi, where Kiffin’s son, Lane, is the Rebels’ coach.
“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,” said the Glazer family, who own the Buccaneers and who inducted Kiffin into the Ring of Honor three of the team. years ago, she said in a declaration.
“His passionate and energetic leadership style resonated with all of his players, and he was instrumental in our first Super Bowl victory and the success of Hall of Famers like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber,” the Glazers added. “Off the field, Monte was kind, genuine, kind and always had a positive attitude. He was very special to the Buccaneers organization and to our family.”
Sapp was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and Brooks won the honor in 2002, when Tampa Bay had the league’s best defense and dominated the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl.
During his tenure with the Bucs, Tampa Bay’s defense led the NFL in fewest points allowed per game (17.5), ranked second in takeaways (293) and yards allowed per game (286.8), third in interceptions (249) and 10th in sacks (503).
With Brooks, Sapp, Lynch, Barber and Simeon Rice leading the way, the 2002 Bucs defense became the first unit since the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears to lead the league in fewest points allowed (196). , yards allowed per game (252.8). ) and interceptions (31) in the same season.
From Lexington, Nebraska, Kiffin played tackle at the University of Nebraska and was a defensive assistant for Bob Devaney on the Cornhuskers’ undefeated 1970 and 1971 national championship teams.
In a career that spanned more than five decades, Kiffin also worked at Arkansas and as an NFL assistant for the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys.
After leaving the Bucs, he worked primarily for his son, Lane, during college stints in Tennessee, Southern California, Florida Atlantic and Mississippi.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
