If as an AD you hire a guy and then try to low ball him on a contract, doesn't that say " I really wanted someone else but had to settle for you so I want to get you at a bargain"
I don't think that's the way an AD and coach want to start a relationship.
The AD needs to be all in until he has a reason not to be.
If you add the buyout amount to Mark's total contract, that total combined amount still wouldn't have been enough to hire a top of the food chain coach.
So if you can't have Self, Izzo, Hurley, Drew or Oats, who else that would have been a better hire could we have got even with the combined money?