How former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll praised Monte Kiffin in his book

Monte Kiffin, one of the most influential coaches in NFL history and a true defensive pioneer, passed away last week at the age of 84. Kiffin had a lasting impact on the game and the people he worked with during his 59-year coaching career. Among those greatly influenced by Kiffin was former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

In Carroll’s book, Win Forever, he thanked Kiffin for helping him become a better tactics coach. “Of all the great coaches I’ve worked with, none has had a more profound impact on the tactical side of my coaching than Monte Kiffin,” Carroll writes. Kiffin’s biggest influence on Carroll, however, had nothing to do with X’s and O’s:

But his big contribution to my career came early on – long before I even got to the NFL – when he instilled in me a simple but powerful belief: “To be successful, you have to have a consistent philosophy. If you change from year to year,” he explained, “you’ll never be great at anything.” I vividly remember Monte pulling out a piece of paper with no more than five or six sentences on it and sharing his philosophy with me. The essence of his philosophy was crystal clear: For him, it was all about playing with great effort and great discipline. Everything else would follow from that. – Pete Carroll

Considering Pete Carroll’s consistent behavior through good times and bad, it’s clear that Kiffin’s message resonated with him. Carroll and the Seahawks parted ways amicably in the offseason, ending his tenure as head coach of the Seahawks after 14 seasons. Under Carroll, the team had a record of 137-89-1 and appeared in two Super Bowls.

New head coach Mike Macdonald is expected to bring fresh ideas to Seattle’s defense this season. The 37-year-old has big shoes to fill. As Carroll has proven over the past 15 years, it takes more than a good scheme to be successful.