I wouldn't say he was "meh" at SDSU at all. Two conference titles and two NCAAT appearances in 3 seasons. Managed to keep Mike Daum there for 3 seasons.
You misunderstand. NIL is not salary. Jobs that pay out bonuses, such as sign-on bonuses or moving expenses, there is typically a window of time that if the employee leaves before that, they owe back a percentage of those sign-on bonuses.
It really is absurd. The amount of money athletes are getting should be contractual, just like a job. "If you come play for us, this is the amount you get. If you leave before X number of years, this is the amount you owe us back."