PACKERVILLE, U.S.A.

Monte Kiffin dies at 84

Kiffin was the Packers’ linebackers coach for the 1983 season.

Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — Monte Kiffin, the longtime NFL and college assistant coach whose Tampa Bay defenses routinely ranked among the league's best, died Thursday. He was 84.

One of the architects of the ultra successful "Tampa 2" defensive scheme, Kiffin spent 13 seasons as defensive coordinator of the Buccaneers 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.

The Old Miss football program announced on the social media platform X that Kiffin, once the head coach at North Carolina State, died surrounded by family and friends in Oxford, Mississippi, where Kiffin's son, Lane, is coach of the Rebels.

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 (1983), 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 Ole Miss.

(Photo from the 1983 Green Bay Packers Media Guide / Packerville, U.S.A. Archives Collection)