When Monte Kiffin left USC after the 2012 season, he was the highest-paid assistant coach in college football with a total compensation package of $1.5 million according to USA Today.

Kiffin's base salary was $1.4 million.

Now with the Cowboys as defensive coordinator, Kiffin could be one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the league.

Houston's Wade Phillips, who was making roughly $3 million when he was the Dallas Cowboys' head coach, most likely is getting less than that with the Texans as their defensive coordinator. Phillips is one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the NFL, if not the highest.

Kiffin's Cowboys' salary is a mystery, but if he was getting at least $1.4 million in 2012, which would be a raise from his 2009 salary where he received a base salary of $1.2 million at USC, it's safe to assume he's at least getting more than a $1 million from the Cowboys.

Team owner Jerry Jones is not against paying big money to assistant coaches.

When Hudson Houck was the offensive line coach with the Cowboys, he was the highest-paid line coach in the NFL at $1 million a season.

Jason Garrett was the highest-paid assistant coach in the league a few years ago at nearly $3 million, which was slightly lower than what Phillips was getting to be the head coach.

If Jones is kicking out big money to Kiffin, it's expected that the new coordinator needs to improve a defense that struggled at times last season due to injuries and ineffective play.