d, the Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator for 13 years in the 1990s and 2000s, died Thursday. He was 84. Kiffin, an NFL assistant for nearly 30 years, was the driving force behind the Buccaneers’ dominating Super Bowl XXXVII defense.
Tony Dungy brought Kiffin to Tampa when he was hired in 1996; the two had previously worked together in Minnesota. Kiffin remained with the organization after Dungy was fired in 2002, working under Jon Gruden and building one of the strongest defenses in NFL history. The 2002 Buccaneers, who had four Hall of Fame-bound defenders, led the NFL in scoring and total defense while intercepting five passes in a Super Bowl victory over the Raiders.
Kiffin had previously served as Vikings DC in 1991 and Saints DC four years later before unleashing the Tampa-2 defense, which he helped build. Those were one-time deals, with Dungy’s offer cutting New Orleans’ stint short. Kiffin undoubtedly played a key role in Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber, and John Lynch’s Canton candidacies.
“Monte Kiffin was a beloved and iconic member of the Buccaneers family, and our entire organization mourns his loss today,” the team said in a statement. “As a coach, Monte was a true innovator who brought out the best in his players and contributed to the development of one of the early 2000s’ trademark defenses. His enthusiastic and dynamic leadership style connected with all of his players, and he had a key role in our first Super Bowl victory as well as the success of Hall of Famers Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber.”
Kiffin, who had previously worked as an assistant for the Packers, Bills, and Jets, later became the defensive coordinator for son Lane during his one-season stint as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Monte Kiffin followed his son to USC, where he helped rebuild the former Raiders head coach in college football before returning to the NFL as Cowboys defensive coordinator.
The Dallas 2013 stint similarly ended after one season, with the team choosing Rod Marinelli as DC in 2014. Monte Kiffin remained a Cowboys assistant for one more season before joining the Jaguars. Kiffin’s final two coaching jobs were with Lane at Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss. The Kiffin father was a Rebels analyst last season.
Kiffin was inducted into the Bucs’ ring of honor as a result of his time with the team. While the Bucs peaked in 2002, Dungy and Kiffin took the lead in revitalizing a dormant franchise in the late 1990s. The Bucs advanced to the Super Bowl XXXIV, intercepting Kurt Warner three times in an 11-6 defensive battle. After two playoff losses in Philadelphia, which ruined top-10 defenses, the Bucs outscored their 2002 playoff opponents 116-37. Four of Tampa Bay’s postseason touchdowns came on pick-sixes, three of which occurred in the team’s Super Bowl victory.
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