It was a few days before Christmas when Joe Salave'a and Washington State reportedly agreed to a contract extension. The deal was supposed to keep the defensive line coach and prized recruiter in Pullman through 2019.
Then Oregon offered Salave'a a deal he couldn't refuse.
The Ducks poached their new defensive line coach, who hiring became official Friday, away from a conference opponent by making him one of the highest-paid defensive line coaches in all of college football. Salave'a, who was set to earn $400,000 next season with WSU, will now make $550,000 annually as part of a three-year deal he signed with Oregon on Jan.