'My Hero': Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin Shares Photo Remembering the Life of Monte Kiffin

Lane Kiffin shared a fond childhood memory of his father Monte Kiffin, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 84.

Jan 13, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Newly hired Southern California Trojans defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin at a press conference at Heritage Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The world of football lost an icon Thursday afternoon with the passing of long-time pro and college football defensive coach Monte Kiffin at the age of 84.

Kiffin, who spent over five decades coaching football, is best known for his patented "Tampa 2" defense that secured a Super Bowl title for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Jon Gruden during the 2002 season.

He was also the father of fifth-year Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who took a moment to share a memory of the defensive wiz and patriarch of the family with a photo to his X account.

Under the caption, Kiffin wrote, "My Hero," with a purple and red heart to commemorate his time with the Minnesota Vikings and NC State.

Monte served as head coach of the Wolf Pack in Raleigh from 1980 to 1982. After that, the family moved up to Green Bay in 1983 and Buffalo in 1984. Monte's longest tenure prior to his arrival in Tampa was with Minnesota, where he served as the Vikings' linebackers coach in 1986-89 and 1992-94. He also served as Minnesota's defensive coordinator for the 1991 season.

My Hero 💜♥️ ⁦@NCStateFB⁩ ⁦@Vikings⁩ pic.twitter.com/gHPAbrUQF1

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) July 11, 2024

Lane, who graduated high school in Minnesota in 1994, shared of photo of him kneeling down next to Monte in a Vikings shirt. The other photo showed an even younger Lane riding a horse with Monte wearing a mask while with NC State.

Monte, who joined Lane when he was hired as Tennessee's head coach in 2009, followed his son to USC, Florida Atlantic and eventually Ole Miss. After Lane's firing by Southern Cal, Monte returned to the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator in 2013.

Prior to his death, Monte served as a player personnel analyst for the Rebels under Lane, helping with daily duties around the facility. Last season, Ole Miss posted its best finish in school history with an 11-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State.

Alongside his Super Bowl title, Monte won two national championships at Nebraska (1970, 1971) and was inducted into the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor in 2021.