Monte Kiffin, the longtime NFL and college assistant coach, including over two stints with the Minnesota Vikings, died Thursday. He was 84. The University of Mississippi announced Kiffin died surrounded by family and friends in Oxford, Mississippi, where Kiffin’s son, Lane, is coach of the Rebels and a graduate of Bloomington Jefferson High School in Minnesota.
Kiffin played college football at Nebraska and was also on the Vikings practice squad in 1964 before getting into coaching.
Kiffin was one of the architects of the ultra successful Tampa 2 defensive scheme. Kiffin spent 13 seasons as defensive coordinator of the Bucs under former coaches Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden from 1996 to 2008 and helped the franchise win the first of its two Super Bowl titles thanks to their superb defense.
Former Gopher linebacker Pete Najarian played for Kiffin in Tampa and praised his ex-coach on X Thursday night.
"One of the greatest coaches I ever had the opportunity to play for!!! Monte was so clever, so funny, so much personality on and off the field," Najarian said. "So sorry to hear this, but clearly God needed him…. Prayers of love and peacefulness to the family, the Huskers, and of course Ole Miss."
Kiffin coached in Minnesota under Jerry Burns from 1986 to 1989 before spending one season with the NY Jets. He came back to the Vikings for Burns' last season in 1991 and then spent 1992-1994 coaching with Dennis Green.
The Vikings posted to X: "Our thoughts are with the friends and family of former Vikings assistant coach Monte Kiffin during this difficult time."
“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, which owns the Buccaneers and inducted Kiffin into the team’s Ring of Honor three years ago, said in a statement.
“His passionate and energetic leadership style resonated with all his players, and he was instrumental in our first Super Bowl win and the success of Hall of Famers such as Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber,” the Glazers added. “Off the field, Monte was kind, genuine, gracious and always had a positive attitude. He was very special to the Buccaneers organization and our family.”
Sapp was voted NFL defensive player of the year in 1999 and Brooks earned the honor in 2002, when Tampa Bay had the league’s top-ranked defense and dominated the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl.
During his stint 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 under Bob Devaney for the Cornhuskers’ 1970 and 1971 undefeated 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 mostly worked for son, Lane, in college stops at Tennessee, Southern California, Florida Atlantic and Mississippi.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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