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Kiffin Signs Multi-Year Extension With Bucs |
 Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has signed a new deal with the Bucs (Getty) |
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin to a contract extension. Kiffin, a 25-year NFL veteran, has been the Bucs defensive coordinator since coming to Tampa Bay in 1996 with head coach Tony Dungy. Kiffin's defense rebounded from the 17th ranking in total defense in 2006 to No. 2 in 2007.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin to a multi-year deal. Kiffin, who has presided over the defense since joining the team in 1996, has been the architect of the Tampa 2 zone defense that the Buccaneers have used as their primary scheme during his tenure.
A speculative report in Friday’s St. Petersburg Times erroneously suggested that the Buccaneers had lowballed Kiffin, 67, with an offer that would pay him less than the $1.7 million average he has earned since signing his latest deal in 2005, which was a three-year contract. ESPN.com, which first broke the story, has reported that the new deal will pay Kiffin in the area of $2 million per year.
“We are pleased to announce that our three coordinators have signed extensions to remain with the Buccaneers,” said Buccaneers general manager Bruce Allen. “This unprecedented consistency is a tribute to the organization and our coaches.”
Kiffin’s defense finished second in the NFL in 2007 in points allowed, rebounding from a dismal showing in 2006 in which the unit ranked 17th in the league. Kiffin’s defenses have finished with the No. 1 ranking on two occasions in Tampa Bay, most recently in 2005 and also in 2002, the year in which Tampa Bay won Super Bowl XXXVII. Of his 12 years in Tampa Bay, Kiffin’s defenses have been ranked in the top 10 in 10 of those seasons.
Tampa Bay’s defense was retooled this past offseason with a youth movement as the Bucs drafted a defensive player in every round of the draft last April, including first-round pick defensive end Gaines Adams, the first time that had been done in franchise history.
Unconfirmed rumors had Kiffin possibly joining his son, Lane, who is the head coach of the Raiders, out in Oakland in 2008, and there were also insinuations that Kiffin might join good friend Pete Carroll, the head coach at USC, as the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons, but Carroll declined Atlanta’s overtures.
ESPN.com also reported that the Washington Redskins had discussed the possibility of hiring Kiffin as the team’s defensive coordinator. But in the end, Kiffin decided to stay in Tampa Bay where he has enjoyed a good working relationship with head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen.
Although terms of the extension are not currently available, the deal would likely be a two- or three-year contract. PewterReport.com had reported on Thursday, January 17 that assistant coaches Bill Muir (offensive coordinator-offensive line coach), Rich Bisaccia (special teams coordinator) and Richard Mann (receivers coach) had re-signed for three years, so it would make sense for the Buccaneers to have Kiffin’s contract sync up with those coaches.
Now that Kiffin has been re-signed, Allen will turn his attention to the remaining unsigned assistant coaches, including quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett, senior assistant offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and assistant defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake. As PewterReport.com first reported on Thursday, Lake interviewed with the Detroit Lions yesterday.
After the assistant coaches are re-signed, it is believed that the Glazers will offer contract extensions to both Gruden and Allen as a reward for winning the team's second NFC South title in three years. The Bucs finished 2007 with a 9-8 record, including an NFC Wild Card playoff loss to the New York Giants, a year after finishing 4-12 in 2006.
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Comments
treybucs
Kuddos to Rick Stroud for his insightful article in todays paper that the Bucs and Kiffin were even further apart than they were last week. Tell me who your source is Rick. Steve Duemig? Roy Cummings? Oh I know. Martin Fennelly?
4:13pm, January 18, 2008
mikes1962
Erroneous report from the St. Pete. Times? Isn't that a redundant statement? I'm glad they got this done now lets get Gruden and Allen resigned so we can move on. On a separate note I don't really understand Tampa Bay fans. I have never experienced supposed fans rooting for their team to lose just to get a coach fired. I have lots of friends out here in Dallas and even when Berry Switzer or Dave Campo were coaches they didn't like the coach but they still wanted the team to win.
4:20pm, January 18, 2008
treybucs
Amen to those Sentiments Mikes1962. Lets sign Gruden and Kiffin to multiyear extensions and quash the negative bashers in this town.
4:53pm, January 18, 2008
ucfbucfan
So what happens with Raheem Morris now that Kiffin has been signed to a multi year deal? Wasn't he supposedly the successor to Kiffin? Think he waits around til Kiffin retires/leaves, or does he jump ship in favor of a higher position with another team?
6:28pm, January 18, 2008
buc4life76
thank u bruce allen for keeping this group together it will pay off in the long run lLETS GO TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11:40pm, January 18, 2008
rkuntz24
Let's see, first the tribune had the Chucky-Meter that mysteriously disappeared half way through the season (after all it was only fun if Gruden was loosing). Then there are reports of a riff between Gruden and Kiffin. Now the Times reports that Kiffin is being low balled and then signs an extension worth more than he made before.
Can't the local rags report the news instead of jumping on every unverified story trying to get a scoop? I haven't seen the local media trying to break up a staff so hard since the Perkins era (at least that was warranted).
12:44am, January 19, 2008
DLS5492
Congratulations to the Bucs for resigning Kiffin!
9:18am, January 19, 2008
Horse
This the reason we pay to have the Pewter Report as we get real information.
Gruden and Allen will get their due contracts shortly. My guess is that they will be atleast 4 years.
As critical as I am about Grueden learning to be a unique leader, he is learning and he will improve. I see nothing but good things happening to our Bucs in the immediate future. We will be in the playoff's again next year and will get another chance to go to the Superbowl.
I believe Gruden has learned a valuable lesson this past season and that is when a team peaks. is very important The Chargers and Giants are perfect examples. Most people had them written off, but despite injuries they got their playoff game face on and have done a good job. Neither one will beat the Packers or Patriots, but my hat is off to them for what they did. They played hard all 16 regular season games.
go Bucs!
10:25am, January 19, 2008
djjustfrank
Amen Horse. I have to admit that listening to them on the radio now for about 5 or so years that they have a very unbiased opinion. Even Scott said last year Grudne should possibly be fired but he would like to see what him and Allen can do with one more year and a little salry cap room.
Well they did their job. Tampa fans are becomming some of the worst in Football. And like I stated in another article. Gruden got beat in the playoffs by a team that had a 7-1 road record coming in and thats GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL.
They were the better team that day and the next two weeks and they showed it. We were lucky it wasn't 35 to 7.
4:42am, January 21, 2008
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