Reader upset by WSU coach's salary

So help me understand.

The state of Washington is currently slashing budgets and cutting the salaries of government workers to balance the budget. Washington State University is cutting staff, raising fees and other costs to students because they received less money from the state.

So this is the part I don't understand. How can WSU afford to pay a football coach $2.25 million a year for the next five years? I am sure Coach Leach's salary will come from various sources but would it not have been better for this money to be spent on lowering fees and costs for the students?