From what I can gather online, ECU is still paying for Ruffin McNeill's base salary of $1.25M through 6/30/18. Scottie Montgomery's contract takes him through 6/30/21. I'm assuming he has a similar buyout of paying the base salary through a certain end date of the contract.

Is ECU so willing to just finish paying for two HCs at once (really even three at once through the end of next June), only to turn around and continue to pay 2 HCs for three more seasons? What happens if they still don't win the 8+ wins that ECU fans seem to expect each season within the first two seasons of a new coach?

There has to be a point where unless a big time donor comes forward and personally pays off the contract money, then there's only so much they can do, so soon. ECU students shouldn't be responsible to foot that bill.