CANTON, Ohio — Best known for his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lexington native Monte Kiffin was one of the 15 recipients of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s third annual ‘Awards of Excellence.’
Kiffin was born in Lexington in 1940, who later went on to attend Lexington High School and played on the 1958 football team that went undefeated and won the Class A state title.
He later played defensive tackle at the University of Nebraska from 1959 to 1966. He would later return to Nebraska as a defensive assistant under legendary coach, Bob Devaney.
He coached the defenses of Nebraska’s 1970 and 1971 back-to-back undefeated national champion teams under coordinator Lance Van Zant.
After his time coaching college sports, Kiffin would begin his time in the NFL and served a short time with several teams. In 1996 he became the defensive coordinator for the Buccaneers.
It was here where Kiffin made a name for himself and earned his spot as one of the most preeminent defensive coordinators in the NFL.
He is considered one of the fathers of the widely imitated “Tampa 2” defense. The scheme is known for its simple format, speed, and the aggressive mentality of its players.
The scheme, coupled with Jon Gruden’s guidance on offense, carried the Buccaneers to the organization’s first championship against the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII on Jan. 26, 2003.
Kiffin served as an assistant coach for eight teams until 2015. Today he serves as a player analyst for the University of Mississippi, which is coached by his eldest son, Lane Kiffin.
