He was paid like a temp (for obvious reasons) so he left like a temp. Let's ignore that, though, and look at the writer's premise: OSU as a destination and not a stepping stone.
OSU is at the bottom of the PAC, which is soon to be at the bottom of the P5 in conference payouts. Their TV network has not worked out, and their external TV deals often put their games so late that they're of limited value in terms of exposure. Hence, OSU is at or very near the bottom of P5 jobs.
That's not a destination, that's purgatory. Flat out, until something radically changes, and we aren't talking a bake sale here, their best move is to become a stepping stone. They're not even that right now. A real stepping stone where you're paying coaches competitive but not top salaries knowing that if they're successful they'll move on is a model that has worked for smaller schools for years. P5 schools too often make the argument that they're too good for that, and often find themselves with poor coaches and a string of buyouts.
