The President needs to show some pride in her job and make changes. The current AD could retire to the private sector and the new AD makes the football hire while assessing Hopkins over the 2021-2022 season. Hopkins just may do well enough to stick around another year and spare the budget.
On a relative basis, Lake's $9.9 million buyout isn't that bad. Hopefully DeBoer would accept a 4 year deal with a mutual 5th year option: structure it $3 million in 2022, $4 million in 2023, and $4.5 million in 2024, and $4.5 in 2025 with a mutual 5th year option at $6 million.
If I'm the AD, I would certainly be willing renegotiate his deal at $5 million + per season if he wins the Pac-12 North in his first 2 or 3 seasons. He'll probably win 9 regular season games at Fresno State this year. Haener is trying to gut through hip and ankle injuries yet Fresno State found a way to win 17-0 @ Wyoming.
If you go after someone like Matt Campbell, his buyout is around $6 million and he'll want at least $6 million per year. He's more of a sure thing but I'd guess around $20 million more expensive.