I'm just razzing utee not because he isn't following along (he obviously is) just that there's not a lot of evidence (especially lately) to suggest that there's any rational judgment being applied to college football coaching hires or much anything else in college football.
in a way, I liken the Jimbo deep-end buyout to an Albert Belle type deal in '97 when we went from the first $5 mil guy to the first $10 mil guy in under five years, Of course A-Rod hit $20m within four years. Now we shrug at the Tom Allen buyouts (which is no less insane), and I don't see IU with any plans? The 'extensions' are one of the most mind numbing practices i've ever seen.
I work for a PE owned firm. The incentives that are used to keep me (and others) around/happy make a ton of sense, and they are largely mutually beneficial. on the other hand, these deals to 'tie up' a guy by effectively agreeing to pay him (once you fire him) not to coach or to coach somewhere else are simply remarkable. The schools are scared of their own shadow (boosters) and have no discipline, strike that, they act with such recklessness.