I wrote extensively on this on other sites. His contract salary started at $3.0 million and increases $100K per season. If he is fired before end of year 4 (2022 after dwag game) Tech would have to pay the full amount of contract. Through 2022 season he will have been paid $12.6 million. The remaining years as follows: 2023 is $3.4 million, 2024 is $3.5 million, and 2025 is $3.6 million. That's $10.5 million. If he is fired after the dwag game, his guarantee expires and the buyout is $2.4 million for each year remaining on the contract, or $7.2 million. It would cost an extra $3.3 million to fire him mid-season. He has no incentive to negotiate that down, it's a solid standard agreement.
If the tea leaves indicate a change will be made, every competent AD has a list of candidates at the ready at all times and up to date, with lines of communication already established. Backdoor feelers will begin immediately to confirm the top candidates are still interested and even begin preliminary talks on structure... all done through representatives. When the firing becomes official, finalists will already have been lined up for interviews or the choice will already have been made.
I wrote elsewhere:
I can't see a midseason change at coach. There's a pretty big financial reason to let the season play out since the fully guaranteed provision of the contract expires only after the dwag game this year. It's the difference between stroking a check for $10.5 million vs $7.2 million for the buyout just for a knee-jerk emotional reaction in the middle of a season already lost. That $3.3 million would help bolster the assistant coaches' budget.
However, my real question, after the current AD threw his "I have My Man" rebuke back on the faction of boosters who wanted and were ready to bankroll a coaching change after 100-0. and they made it very clear to the AD that his own future at Tech is lashed to the success or failure of the football coach this year since he took his side, is whether the AD will be permitted to be the one making the next hire after all that's gone down. I have serious doubts about that, and IF not, the AD doesn't have a $10 million buyout to protect him. An AD needs to be in place for a couple months to establish their own systems and program within the building, get situated, and IF the change is coming get a head start on contacting the AD's list of candidates that every AD has at the ready through back door channels to vet interested candidates. If the record is 1-4 or 2-4 when October rolls around, that leaves the amount of time I just laid out for an organized transition process and be prepared to begin interviews immediately after the dwag game IF a change is going to be made, and make a decision while all potential candidates are still available and give the new coach time to aggressively get after salvaging a recruiting class before both signing periods.
