Only 84, the news of his demise came as a shocker for many who called him their friend. A member of the Tampa Bay Ring of Honor and one of the most celebrated defense coaches, Monte Kiffin, died peacefully on Thursday, July 11 in Oxford, surrounded by family and friends.

His grandson, Knox Kiffin, assured everyone that Monte was “free of pain and smiling down on us from above.” The NFL family, especially the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, feels blessed for that. Talking about the Bucs and remembering Kiffin, how can we leave the former wide receiver, Keyshawn Johnson, who recently expressed what a legend he was?

Keyshawn Johnson: Monte Kiffin at the top!

Paying respect to the coach in the episode of UNDISPUTED, former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson honored Kiffin with a title, “Monte was, in the time that I’ve been around both as a Buccaneer player and at USC and even as recently as a couple years ago, he will, by far in my opinion, go down as the greatest defensive coordinator ever.” He further brought Bill Belichick into the context, while comparing, “people will say ‘What about Bill Belichick?’ … But I watched that defense in person,” and hence, Kiffin’s defensive strategies were unparalleled.

Johnson highlighted Kiffin’s defenses were among the top four in NFL history, making it incredibly difficult for opponents to play against them. In addition to that, Johnson reflected on the dominant Buccaneers defense of the late 1990s and early 2000s. That era featured stars like Derek Brooks, Warren Sapp, and John Lynch, many of whom are now Hall of Famers. He also shared personal anecdotes, emphasizing Kiffin’s coaching brilliance and his genuine personality. Not only that! Johnson shared his most memorable moment.

He said that despite being an offensive player, he often found himself interacting with Kiffin and the defensive coaches, forming a unique bond. One memorable story was that Johnson gave the Buccaneers’ defense insider information about his former team, the New York Jets, which almost led to a win. This incident told the former WR about Kiffin’s attention to detail and his humorous, approachable nature. Johnson concluded by expressing, “He’s gonna be missed for sure though, man…I don’t know, I don’t want to choke up about it, but he gonna be missed, he will be missed.”

Monte Kiffin, the creator of Tampa 2

The defense monster, Monte Kiffin, is popularly remembered as the creator of the “Tampa 2” defense. He served as the DC for the Bucs from 1996 to 2008 under coaches Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden. His innovative coaching played a significant role in the Buccaneers’ first Super Bowl win. The owners of the Buccaneers, the Glazer family, praised Kiffin as an innovator who brought out the best in his players and created one of the standout defenses of the early 2000s.

His leadership was crucial to the Hall of Famers like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber. The Glazers highlighted Kiffin’s positive attitude and his special connection to the Buccaneers organization and their family. Kiffin’s hard work and success are clearly evident. During Kiffin’s tenure, “the Buccaneers’ defense led the NFL in fewest points allowed per game (17.5), ranked second in takeaways (293) and yards allowed per game (286.8), third in interceptions (249) and 10th in sacks (503).”

After leaving the Buccaneers, Kiffin continued his coaching, “at various college programs and often worked with his son, Lane Kiffin, at Tennessee, Southern California, Florida Atlantic, and Mississippi.” May his family have all the strength and courage in their heart.

He will be missed!