Monte Kiffin will always be regarded as one of the best defensive minds in football history. His Tampa 2 defensive scheme was one of the most successful defenses in the NFL. At the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2005 season the Buccaneers were first in fewest yards allowed. His Tampa 2 defense was extremely effective in the NFL with the pro-style offense.

Monte Kiffin has always been a believer in attacking and causing turnovers, however in 2009 the Tennessee defense ranked 85th in sacks recorded and 83rd in interceptions. As an SEC defense the Vols should've been causing sacks and picking SEC quarterbacks with ease, and his defense even lost many close games that year.

Now at USC Kiffin fulfilled another hallmark from his defensive philosophy which is to use speed. He has always liked to use faster linebackers and even using safeties. After a terrible defensive performance in year 1, he brought speed to the linebacker corps with Hayes Pullard and moving safety Dion Bailey to linebacker, but he also left Lamar Dawson to bring strength and be the anchor for the linebackers.. In 2011 the USC defense was looking like the dominant 2008 defense and they controlled the opposing offense.

In 2012 the defense started strong as they played teams with more pro-style offenses such as Stanford, Colorado, and Washington. As the Trojan offense struggled many analysts called the defense the bright spot of the Trojans. On the other hand as the season progressed the Trojans started playing teams that like to attack with a spread offense such as Arizona, Oregon, UCLA, and even Notre Dame. USC lost all four of those games and the defense looked dismal. Oregon is an outstanding team with great offensive power, but the USC defense still has a bevy of talented players, and for Oregon to put up 62 points and 730 yards is inexcusable for a USC defense.

The truth is the game is changing whether Monte likes it or not. Offenses are figuring him out, and what he is doing is no surprise to them. It's no longer a pro-style game, but more spread out and fast paced. Either Monte has to adjust or USC will adjust. The best bet for him is to retire this year, and let the Trojans move on.