Former NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin died Thursday at the age of 84. His funeral is set for Saturday in Tampa.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, Monte’s son, attended SEC Media Days on Monday, a day after seeking counsel from his pastor, Fish Robinson, at his Oxford church.
Lane Kiffin said he is honoring his father by living by one of the philosophies.
“Show up and do your job,” Kiffin said, via Jared Redding of 247sports.com. “That’s what I’m doing here.”
Monte Kiffin coached nearly 30 years in the NFL, including 13 with the Buccaneers. He also worked with his son at stops at Tennessee, USC, FAU and Ole Miss, where Monte was an analyst.
Monte is in the Bucs Ring of Honor and was at the Pro Football Hall of Fame two weeks ago to receive an Award of Excellence.
“Hero is really not the right term for him. It’s superhero,” Lane Kiffin said. “That’s what he was to the people that he touched. Now I’m using his term of him, because I really feel like there’s very few superheroes and few great ones that loved everyone and tried to help everyone he came in touch with, whether you were big or small, wherever you were, he tried to help.
“One person said he met [Monte] in a gas station, and although he was a stranger, he made me feel like a friend. . . . He never wanted anyone to have a bad day or be sad, so this is me trying to do that.”