Lane Kiffin is a coach’s son. It’s a label that indicates he knows what he’s doing, having grown up with the game. And Lane stepped into college football coaching in the shadow of his father, Monte Kiffin. Lane has made a name for himself in college football for both good and bad reasons, but he is the son of one of the most iconic defensive figures in the NFL. Monte Kiffin was a phenomenon as an NFL DC, and his defenses left an indelible mark on those who work on this side of the ball. Lane’s DC, Pete Golding, regards him as one of the best to ever grace the game.
Monte Kiffin began his career in college football. He was a student of the veteran CFB coach, Bob Devaney, at Nebraska. There, he was part of the staff that saw the school winning back-to-back National Championship teams of 1970 and 1971. Then came his legendary career with Tampa Bay, where he devised the groundbreaking strategy of ‘Tampa 2’. After all, he won a Super Bowl for it in 2002. And after ending his career with Tampa Bay, Monte Kiffin joined hands with his son, stepping back into college football. He’s been a towering figure wherever he went and left a huge impact. Kiffin passed away in 2024, just a few weeks before Lane began his season that year.
His presence left a mark on Rebels DC Pete Golding. “I think if I wasn’t coming from Coach [Nick] Saban, like there had been a lot of nervous energy being around him, right? Like, I mean, the godfather of defense, and our Tampa 2 and all that…” the DC said in a July 11 episode of The Official Coaches Pod Network. Golding took on the role of co-DC under Nick Saban in 2018 and got the full-time role the next year. In 2020, he was part of the crew that helped Alabama lift the National Trophy. The high-level pedigree gave him the confidence to embrace Monte Kiffin’s mentorship.
“So, he was awesome when I first got there, [transitioning] into a new system. So we’re on the whiteboard every day, and just, the story times I’ve had with Monte were just unbelievable,” Golding added. Monte Kiffin took on the role of being a defensive analyst for the Rebels while his son Lane headlined the show as coach. Despite losing his father, Lane Kiffin was able to power through and put forward a great season, going 10-3 and just missing the playoffs. Monte Kiffin’s impact ran far and wide in college football. Inventor of the legendary ‘Tampa 2’ defense, he went on to play an important role in shaping another defensive great in college football.
Monte Kiffin’s defenses ranked among the best of the best in the NFL for a decade straight. The Tampa 2 mechanism still has a huge impact in the league and in college football. Steve Sarkisian is one of the few college football coaches lucky to learn from the mastermind himself.
Steve Sarkisian throws light on learning the Tampa 2 from Monte Kiffin
Alabama and the Kiffin name are linked in a lot of ways. Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban’s tested camaraderie is part of the most memorable years for either of them. Steve Sarkisian was also part of the Crimson Tide staff when Kiffin was at Tuscaloosa. This was not the first time they worked alongside each other. Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin worked together for USC’s offense during the early 2000s. Coincidentally, they were back with the Trojans in their second stints with the program in the 2010s, until Sarkisian replaced Kiffin after his dramatic firing in 2013.
It was during this second innings that Sarkisian got the chance to work alongside Monte Kiffin. And from there, he got a special ticket to learn first-hand the legend’s signature move. He said in a June 24 appearance for 3rd & Longhorn, “I’m learning Tampa 2, like the ins and outs of Tampa 2. The rule breakers, the plays that give it the problems, why it’s an issue, the indicators when they’re not playing Tampa 2 and they’re going to play three deep, and what you’re looking for, and so, I still hold on to those premises.”
Lane Kiffin sure is a coach’s son. But his father was more than just a coach; he was a pioneer. Monte Kiffin’s impact on gridiron football is still felt by defensive coaches in the sport, after building defenses that made him one of the best.
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