Monte Kiffin Reportedly Won't Return to Cowboys: Latest Comments and Reaction

On the heels of a season that saw him take on a reduced role with the Dallas Cowboys, it is being reported that 74-year-old defensive guru Monte Kiffin will not return to the coaching staff in 2015.    

According to ESPN.com's Todd Archer, the Cowboys have opted against signing the assistant head coach to a new deal.

Kiffin's official title in 2014 was assistant head coach/defense after serving as the defensive coordinator in 2013. Dallas' defense was historically bad under Kiffin, though, which ultimately led to him being reassigned.

He was essentially demoted and replaced by Rod Marinelli, but Kiffin had a positive attitude about the situation prior to the 2014 campaign, per Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News:

"

I'm excited. I'm real fired up. I'm not down one bit. I'm really not. I can't coach that way. I wouldn't stay here. If I didn't feel right and I wasn't going to contribute and it wasn't going to be a good situation, I promise you I would have moved on. But I really like it here and I like the head coach.

"

Despite Kiffin's willingness to accept a lesser role, the Cowboys decided it was time to move on.

Due to Kiffin's age, it is certainly fair to wonder if his run with Dallas last season was the last coaching job of his NFL career, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram:

Kiffin was a defensive innovator in his heyday, as he conceptualized the Tampa 2 scheme as defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 through 2008. He helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl and was heralded as one of the best defensive minds in football.

His system simply didn't work in Dallas, but it can't hurt to have a coach with a resume as impressive as Kiffin's on the staff.

The Cowboys apparently didn't feel as though the partnership was needed any longer, but perhaps another team will be intrigued by the wealth of knowledge that Kiffin brings to the table.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter