Former NC State football coach Monte Kiffin, renowned as defensive guru, dies at 84

Monte Kiffin, who coached at N.C. State in the early 1980s and was considered one of football’s best defensive minds, has died. He was 84.

Before becoming one of the NFL’s most respected defensive coaches, Kiffin was the Wolfpack’s head coach for three seasons from 1980 to 1982. He came to NCSU from Arkansas, where he was an assistant coach on Lou Holtz’s staff, and was a surprise choice to replace the departed Bo Rein, who had led State to the 1979 ACC title.

Kiffin, the father of Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin, was an intense coach who could be crusty off the field. But he tried to bring some of Holtz’s enthusiasm and comedic touch to N.C. State, riding a horse while dressed like the Lone Ranger or jumping into a boxing ring with Joe Frazier.

But Kiffin did not win enough games. The Wofpack faced some strong schedules, playing Penn State and South Carolina each of his three seasons as coach, and his 16-17 overall record did not play well with all Wolfpack fans.

One memorable game from Kiffin’s short stint as coach came Oct. 17, 1981 against North Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Pack led the fourth-ranked Tar Heels 10-0 at halftime with some stifling defensive play, but a decision was made during the break to open the second half with an onside kick – an aggressive move that failed.

The Tar Heels recovered the kick and went on to a 21-10 victory. For the Wolfpack, 4-1 entering the game, it was the first of six straight defeats, including a 22-15 loss to sixth-ranked Penn State. The Pack, 6-5 in Kiffin’s first season, finished 4-7.

The Pack was 6-5 in 1982, but lost 41-9 to UNC and 54-0 to Penn State. That was a final year of Kiffin’s three-year contract and he then resigned, saying his request for an extension would be denied.

Kiffin, a Nebraska native, played college football for the Cornhuskers and was a defensive assistant on teams that won national championships in 1970 and ‘71. He then went to Arkansas to join Holtz before getting the head job at N.C. State, with support from the former Wolfpack coach.

In the NFL, Kiffin coached for Green Bay, Buffalo, Minnesota, the New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints before going to Tampa Bay to be defensive coordinator in 1996. He was with the Buccaneers until 2008 and credited with further crafting what became known as the “Tampa 2” defensive scheme that many NFL and college teams would copy-cat.

Tampa Bay, with Kiffin as defensive coordinator, won Super Bowl XXXVII.

Kiffin left the NFL and later coached on his son’s staffs at Tennessee, Southern Cal and Florida Atlantic before becoming a player personnel analyst at Ole Miss. He mixed that in with stints as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and then an assistant coach with Jacksonville.

Kiffin’s death on Thursday was announced on social media by a grandson, Knox Kiffin, who said his grandfather died peacefully surrounded by family.