So here’s the deal.
Here’s what happened. Underwood and Holder had preliminary discussions a few weeks ago, but an OSU source said that Underwood discovered that both Illinois and Missouri were interested in talking, giving him more negotiating leverage.
Last Monday, the day after the Cowboys were assigned to Indianapolis for a first-round NCAA Tournament game against Michigan, Holder and Underwood met. The OSU source said Holder offered $2.2 million per year and would get Underwood to $3 million after five seasons. The Big 12 average is $2.9 million for a head coach. But Underwood said he wanted $2.