Former Florida Atlantic football defensive assistant Monte Kiffin died Thursday according to a media release from the University of Mississippi.
Kiffin, 84, died surrounded by family in Oxford, Mississippi according to a social media post from the official Ole Miss football social media account.
“As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above,” per the post. “Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.”
Kiffin served as a defensive analyst and pro liaison while his son Lane Kiffin was FAU football’s head coach from 2017-19.
The Owls enjoyed unprecedented success in the Kiffin era with double digit-win seasons in 2017 and 2019. The Owls were 26-13 overall under Kiffin, the best 3-year stretch in program history.
Notable defensive players from Kiffin’s tenure include Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and Palm Beach Lakes graduate Teja Young, who later followed Kiffin to Ole Miss for his final season of college eligibility in 2023.
Head coach Lane Kiffin’s father, defensive analyst Monte Kiffin, watches during spring football practice at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton on March 22, 2018.
More: Monte Kiffin’s return to the sidelines, postgame dances highlight the next chapter of his coaching career
Members of the FAU athletics community mourned Kiffin’s death on social media Thursday evening.
Ken LaVicka, lead play-by-play broadcaster for FAU football and men’s basketball, posted condolences on his X account: “knowing and spending quality time with monte kiffin was one of the great pleasures of my adult life.”
Monte Kiffin Tampa 2
The Florida Atlantic Owls’ “red” team celebrates a victory with coach Monte Kiffin after the Owls’ spring game on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
Monte Kiffin is regarded as one of the most influential defensive coaches in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/former-florida-atlantic-football-coach-231315824.html
Author : Palm Beach Daily News
Publish date : 2024-07-11 23:13:15
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