Former Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin passed away Thursday.
Kiffin, the father of former Vols’ head coach Lane Kiffin, served as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator in 2009, during his son’s only season in Knoxville.
He was 84.
Kiffin, a long time college and NFL assistant coach, was best known in the NFL as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator. He was an architect of the Buccaneers’ Tampa 2 defense.
Kiffin served as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator from from 1996-2008 under head coaches Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden, winning Super Bowl XXXVI.
He was also defensive coordinator at USC (2010-12), a defensive assistant at Florida Atlantic (2017-19) and a player personnel analyst at Ole Miss from 2020-23.
Kiffin worked at Nebraska from 1966-76, beginning his career as a graduate assistant. He was also the Cornhuskers’ defensive coordinator from 1969-76. Kiffin held the same position at Arkansas from 1977-79 and was also the Razorbacks’ assistant head coach in 1979.
He was head coach at North Carolina State head coach from 1980-82, compiling a 16-17 record.
Kiffin also worked as an assist coach in the NFL for Dallas, the Jets, Minnesota, Green Bay, New Orleans, Buffalo and Jacksonville.
PHOTOS: Vols’ defensive coordinators through the years
