Legendary football coach Monte Kiffin, the father of Ole Miss frontman Lane Kiffin, has passed away.
Officials with the Ole Miss athletics department announced on Thursday that Monte died in Oxford with his loved ones nearby.
“Monte Kiffin, 84, peacefully passed away today in Oxford surrounded by family and friends,” a social media post from the official Ole Miss football account reads. “As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above.”
Monte Kiffin, 84, peacefully passed away today in Oxford surrounded by family and friends. As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above.
Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time. pic.twitter.com/eM1HT2lGHx
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) July 11, 2024
The Lexington, Nebraska native who rose to prominence as one of the greatest defensive minds in football began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Nebraska in 1966 before being promoted to the Cornhuskers’ defensive coordinator position in 1969. He then held defensive coordinator and assistant head coaching positions at Arkansas before landing his first head coaching gig at NC State in 1980.
Not long later, the NFL came calling with Monte being dubbed the Green Bay Packers’ linebackers coach in 1983. From there he went on to be an assistant coach for six different professional teams as well as four college programs. His later collegiate stops included stints at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic, and most recently at Ole Miss as an analyst — all under the leadership of his son, Lane.
“Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers at this time,” a statement from Ole Miss football reads.
