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July 12 (UPI) -- Longtime NFL and college football defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has died, the University of Mississippi announced. He was 84. Ole Miss said Kiffin peacefully died while surrounded by family and friends Thursday in Oxford, Miss.
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"As his grandson Knox said, he's free of pain and smiling down on us from above," Ole Miss said. "Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time."
Kiffin, known as a defensive guru and a key architect of the Tampa 2 scheme, spent 29 seasons as an NFL assistant, including 13 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator.
His defensive prowess helped form one of the most dominant defenses of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and led to a Super Bowl XXVII victory.
Kiffin played offensive and defensive tackle at Nebraska, and was elected in the 15th round of the 1964 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers and with the Toronto Rifles and Brooklyn Dodgers -- both of the Continental Football League.
Kiffin returned to Nebraska in 1966 to work as a graduate assistant. He later took over as defensive coordinator of the Cornhuskers. Kiffin went on to hold that role at many additional stops, including at Arkansas and with the Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Buccaneers.
He held other defensive roles with the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars while coaching in the NFL. Kiffin also served as head coach at North Carolina State, posting a 16-17 record over three seasons.
He later worked alongside his son, head coach Lane Kiffin, at Tennessee in 2009, at USC from 2010 to 2012, Florida Atlantic from 2017 to 2019 and Ole Miss from 2020 to 2023.
The Buccaneers allowed the fewest yards in the NFL twice during Monte Kiffin's tenure as defensive coordinator, which spanned 1996 to 2008. They ranked inside the Top 10 in that category in 11 of Kiffin's 13 seasons, including eight years inside the Top 5 and six years inside the Top 3.
The Buccaneers allowed the fewest yards and points, while led by the No. 1 pass defense and No. 5 rush defense in 2002, when they won their first Super Bowl.
"Monte Kiffin was a beloved and iconic member of the Buccaneers family, and our entire organization mourns his loss today," the Glazer family, who owns the Buccaneers, said in a statement.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Robin, sons Lane and Chris, daughter Heidi and the entire Kiffin family."
Monte Kiffin was honored in March through the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Awards for Excellence Program. In 2021, he became the first -- and only -- assistant coach ever inducted into the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
