Coach was upfront with the admin., alumni, and the players the entire time. Said he would HAVE to consider offers from a bigger program. Said this in public ,on camera/mic multiple times in the past year. Including when College Game Day broadcast from JSU a few weeks ago.
Nobody connected to the Tigers program would be blindsided if he takes the CU job.
*Personally, I think the water crisis from a few weeks ago is what sped up the timetable for his departure. Mississippi state government neglects the areas where the Black residents are, and won't even handle basic infrastructure maintenance for the gotdamned capital city. Not some obscure town, but the state capital.