Three years ago this week, the Tim DeRuyter era at Fresno State reached its zenith. Following back-to-back Mountain West titles, DeRuyter received a five-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $7.5 million in base salary.
As Bulldogs fans know all too well, things soon went skittering off the cliff.
When DeRuyter was fired last October following a 1-7 start, he departed with two years and $3.1 million remaining on that deal. That meant Fresno State, following the appointment of Jeff Tedford, was stuck paying for two head football coaches – a major ulcer for an athletic department already straining to feed 21 mouths.