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Kiffin: Dungy's 'A Great Example' The NFL Will Miss

Tribune File Photo (2001)

Former-Bucs Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin, Ex-Head Coach Tony Dungy and Derrick Brooks confer on the sideline.

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By ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 12, 2009

Updated: 01/13/2009 08:51 am

TAMPA - The friendship between Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffin began long before they coached together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It actually began at Dungy's Minnesota home in 1992. That is when Dungy took over as Minnesota's defensive coordinator and Kiffin's was the team's inside linebackers coach. Kiffin remembers a young Dungy inviting him and his wife over for dinner, and that is when the two families instantly meshed.

"He was always serious about his children. Serious about his wife. It's just hard to describe what he meant," Kiffin said. "If everybody hasn't read his book, they need to read his book because he's so real. That's what he is."

Dungy wrote the book, "Quiet Strength," after the Colts won the Super Bowl following the 2006 season.

Now Dungy, like Kiffin, has left the NFL to support his family.

Dungy announced his retirement Monday after seven years with Indianapolis to spend more time with his family. Kiffin recently stepped down as Tampa Bay's defensive coordinator after 26 seasons in the NFL to become the University of Tennessee's defensive coordinator under his son, Lane.

Dungy made Kiffin his defensive coordinator in 1996 after being named Tampa Bay's head coach and the duo fathered the 'Tampa Cover 2' defense, one of the most successful defensive schemes in NFL history.

"I owe all my experiences, and the great experiences I've had with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to Tony Dungy," Kiffin said. "I would have never had the opportunities to have those experiences if he didn't give me a chance in 1996."

Kiffin called Dungy on Sunday night to congratulate him on his decision to retire.

Although Kiffin believes the NFL is losing a great coach, he thinks the world is gaining an excellent person.

"It's a tremendous loss [to the coaching profession]," Kiffin said. "He's so young, but he started as a young coach. He's such a great example. The players will tell you that he never wavered from the day he took the job as a head coach. The game will lose in professionalism, but the gift will be how many lives he can touch now because he has so much time.

"He's touched so many people lives. He's unbelievable. He's the best. I just can't say enough about him."

Reporter Anwar S. Richardson can be reached (813) 259-8425

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