A&M had revenues of $194 million last year with $134 million in expenses. So the goal is to hire the best available coach. By any objective measure Jimbo is a Top 5 coach in CFB. So even assuming A&M overpaid, who cares? The risk for A&M's AD is not overpaying for a coach.

The risk for A&M's AD is having his fan base think he is not committed to doing everything he can to win. A&M has very expensive tickets to their games with huge donations required. They sell those tickets and get those donations now but if they want to keep demand strong they have to continue to show those folks writing the checks they are committed.

This isn't the first time A&M has gone out and written a big check to buy a coach, we have done it at least 3 other times:

Bear Bryant-A&M went out and hired Bryant after an SEC Title at Kentucky by writing him a huge check. Bryant delivered in a short tenure with an undefeated season and Conference Title, a Heisman Winner, and a #1 ranked team. A&M was still a small, all male school at the time though and he left to go back to his Alma Mater at Bama, Bryant was the last coach to leave A&M voluntarily.

Jackie Sherrill-In '82 A&M hired Sherrill with the first million dollar contract in CFB history with the highest salary at the time. Sherrill had just had consecutive #2 finishes at Pitt. He was actually A&M's backup plan after Bo Schembechler who came a breath away from leaving Michigan. Sherrill went on to completely rebuild A&M and win 3 straight SWC Titles and win 2 Cotton Bowls as well as beat rival Texas 5 straight times. He was forced out due to the NCAA but he left a program that continued to dominate the SWC for the next several years.

Dennis Franchione-in '02 A&M wrote another huge check to hire away Fran from Bama, something that most thought was impossible. Fran was considered the hottest coach in CFB after rebuilding 3 programs. He was a complete disaster at A&M to the point where a lot of folks pretend as though the great run from '85-98 didn't exist.

A&M isn't afraid to spend money to get the best coach available, it isn't a new phenomenon. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but we aren't scared and we will do it again if needed.

Blah blah blah. Dude too long, but I think I agree. In the big scheme of CFB to pay someone too much is really a non issue. They either work out(in which case it was a good decision) or they do not and in that case usually $1/yr wouldn't have been a good decision for the school.