Former Cowboys DC Monte Kiffin to be honored with Hall of Fame Award of Excellence
A former Cowboys coordinator and one of the greatest defensive minds in football history is heading to Canton.
Monte Kiffin was named this week as one of 15 individuals being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as an Award of Excellence recipient. This is the third year for the awards, meant to honor assistant coaches, athletic trainers, equipment managers, public relations personnel, and film/video directors who have made significant contributions to the sport during their careers.
Kiffin served as the Cowboys defensive coordinator for the 2013 season in what was Jason Garrett’s third full year as head coach. He had already been coaching at the college and pro levels for over 45 years, given birth to the revolutionary “Tampa Two” defense, and won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers by the time he came to Dallas.
Despite having a defensive roster anchored by DeMarcus Ware, Sean Lee, and Jason Hatcher in a Pro Bowl year, the 2013 Cowboys struggled to just an 8-8 finish and missed the postseason.
Kiffin lost the DC job to Rod Marinelli for 2014 but stayed with the team as an assistant head coach for the defense. Dallas put together a 12-4 season, finished in a three-way tie for the NFC East title, and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs.
Kiffin’s fingerprints can be seen all over NFL defenses even today, and his influence still remains in Dallas. Mike McCarthy comes from the Marty Schottenheimer coaching tree, as did Kiffin. And the current Cowboys defense which was put together by Dan Quinn is based on philosophies Quinn developed under Pete Carroll, who in turn was mentored by Kiffin.
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Using safeties as linebackers, prioritizing speed over size, deploying multiple defenses from a single look, emphasizing takeaways, and being willing to give up yards but not allowing teams to score – all are signatures of the style Kiffin invented.
Now 84, Kiffin works as a consultant and player personnel analyst at Ole Miss, where his son Lane is the head football coach.
Former offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese, equipment manager “Buck” Buchanan, and longtime PR exec Greg Aiello are among the previous Awards of Excellence winners with Cowboys ties.
This year’s Awards of Excellence recipients will be recognized in Canton June 26-27.
