By CNN
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Longtime NFL and college coach Monte Kiffin has died at the age of 84, the University of Mississippi announced on Thursday.
Kiffin passed away peacefully in Oxford, Mississippi, surrounded by friends and family, the school said.
“As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above,” the school said in a statement on social media. “Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.”
Kiffin was a longtime defensive coordinator in the NFL, spending 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys.
He was also noted as the mastermind behind the “Tampa 2” defensive scheme which helped lead the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl XXXVII victory over the Oakland Raiders in 2002.
The Buccaneers-owning Glazer family said Monte was a “beloved and iconic member” of the organization.
“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 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. 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.”
Kiffin also served as the defensive coordinator on his son Lane’s staff while at the University of Tennessee in 2009, the University of Southern California from 2010-2012 and then as a defensive analyst at Florida Atlantic University.
Lane has been the head coach of Ole Miss since 2020 where Monte has been an analyst on the staff.
Earlier on Thursday, Lane posted photos of him and his father on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption, “My hero.”
