Monte Kiffin Position: Assistant Head Coach

Monte Kiffin, who is regarded as one of the game's best defensive minds, joined the USC staff in January of 2010 as assistant head coach. He has 44 years of coaching experience on the collegiate and NFL levels, having been on the staffs of programs that won 2 national championships and a Super Bowl.

He was the defensive coordinator at Tennessee in 2009. The Volunteers were 12th nationally in both pass defense and pass efficiency defense and 22nd in total defense in 2009.

He spent 26 seasons (1983-2008) in the NFL, including the last 13 of those as the defensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he refined and popularized the famous Tampa Cover 2 defense. Eleven of his Buccaneer defenses ranked among the NFL's Top 10 in total defense and scoring defense, a league record. He was a member of the 2002 Super Bowl champions that led the league in total defense, scoring defense and interceptions. Six other Bucacaneer squads advanced to the NFC playoffs during his time there.

His other NFL stops included the Green Bay Packers (1983 coaching the linebackers), Buffalo Bills (1984-85 coaching the linebackers), Minnesota Vikings (1986-89 coaching the linebackers and 1991-94 as defensive coordinator the first year and then handling the inside linebackers), New York Jets (1990 coaching the linebackers) and New Orleans Saints (1995 as the defensive coordinator). During his stints with the Vikings, they led the NFL in total defense in 1988, 1989 and 1994 (they were second in 1992) and advanced to the NFC playoffs 6 times.

Before going to the NFL, the 70-year-old Kiffin spent 17 seasons at the college level. He began as an assistant for 11 years at Nebraska (1966-76), his alma mater, handing the defensive line the first 7 seasons before becoming the defensive coordinator in 1973 when Tom Osborne took over for Bob Devaney. He was on the staff of Nebraska's 1970 and 1971 national champions. The Cornhuskers played in 9 bowls during his time there, including in his final 8 seasons (1967-74 Sugar, 1969 Sun, 1971-72-73 Orange, 1974 Cotton, 1975 Fiesta, 1976 Bluebonnet).

He then was the defensive coordinator under Lou Holtz at Arkansas for 3 seasons (1977-79), adding the assistant head coach title his final year there. The Razorbacks led the nation in scoring defense in 1977. Arkansas played in a bowl each season (1978 Orange, 1978 Fiesta, 1980 Sugar).

He next became the head coach at North Carolina State for 3 seasons (1980-82). He went 16-17, with winning records his last 2 seasons.

After being the Nebraska high school Player of the Year in 1958 while at Lexington (Neb.) High, he was a two-way tackle at Nebraska (1959-63) and the Cornhuskers played in the 1964 Orange Bowl when he was a senior. He then spent 1965 as a defensive end with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (he sat out the 1964 season with a knee injury).

He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Nebraska in 1963.

He was born on Feb. 29, 1940. He and his wife, Robin, have 2 sons, Lane (USC's head coach), 35, and Chris (a defensive assistant at USC), 28, and a daughter, Heidi, 41.

KIFFIN SNAPSHOT

BIRTHDAY: Feb. 29, 1940
FAMILY: Wife, Robin; Sons, Lane, 35, and Chris, 28; Daughter, Heidi, 41
HIGH SCHOOL: Lexington (Neb.) HS
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, physical education, Nebraska, 1963
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: Lexington (Neb.) HS
Nebraska, tackle, 1959-63
Winnipeg Blue Bombers, defensive end, 1965
COACHING EXPERIENCE: 44 years