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Cowboys shaking up coaching staff following tough 9-7 finish

The Cowboys are making a change to its coaching staff.

A year ago, the Dallas Cowboys were 13-3 and the top seed in the NFC. This year, the Cowboys stumbled to 9-7 and missed the postseason, and the organization is already making changes to the coaching staff.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that wide receivers coach Derek Dooley won't be returning next season. Dooley was the receivers coach since 2013.

Related: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott calls uneven season a "growing year"

Dooley took the job a year after being let go as the head coach at Tennessee.

The Dallas passing game struggled for most of the year, and the absence of running back Ezekiel Elliott didn't help the passing game get into a rhythm. Dak Prescott had a bit of a sophomore slump, and Dez Bryant didn't produce the way the team wanted its No. 1 receiver to produce.

Rapoport said Dooley will likely head back to college football — likely as an assistant. Dooley was an assistant under Nick Saban at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins, so it's possible he could join Saban's staff at Alabama. He also has connections with new Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, Georgia coach Kirby Smart and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp as all three were assistants under Saban at LSU.

More changes could be coming to the Dallas coaching staff, but head coach Jason Garrett will return in 2018.