Rod Marinelli will stay on as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. With Jason Garrett reportedly signing a five-year extension in Dallas, Marinelli must have liked the job security in Dallas -- and the rumored interest of Lovie Smith and company will probably have helped him get some extra money.
There were persistent rumors throughout the season that Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli wanted to coach together again, including a few reports over the last few days that suggested it was a near-certainty. Instead, the Bucs will presumably stick with defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and his defensive staff.
While most Bucs fans preferred Marinelli, Frazier didn't do badly last year. The defense was terrible at the start of the season, frequently making rudimentary errors, but about midway through the year everyone got comfortable in the new scheme and the defense improved by leaps and bounds. Having defensive-line guru Marinelli in town would have been nice, but it's not a necessity for a quality defense next year.