Heyward left due to money and money only.

Check out this cost of living comparison: Click Me

Based on a $105,000 salary, Heyward paid $9237 in Oregon taxes. So, Seattle is 35% more expensive than Corvallis, and the income tax differential (i.e. Washington has no State income tax) reduces that to 26.2%. Now factor in the raise. $105,000 to 124,000 (these are the figures I'm hearing). That's an 18% increase. Subtract that from the 26.2%…Heyward just took an 8.2% pay decrease to move to Seattle.

So who won?

Obviously, the Huskies. They weakened a division rival, and paid 8.2% less money to do so. They might wind up landing Shelton, Brice, Wallace, et al, too.

• Heyward is worse off. He just lost 8.2% of his purchasing power (makes me wonder if Keith studied economics or basic math in college). This figure will increase when factoring increased net income into his Federal taxes.
• Clearly the Beaver football program is worse off. They lost their best recruiter.
• Mike Riley is worse off. He looks inept for letting Heyward walk over a few thousand dollars. A raise to 120k would have kept him. Additionally, Riley risks his recruiting class, confirms his nepotism, confirms that he rewards friends who yield poor results over an up and comer getting the job done.

Riley apologists will want to blame Bob D. Trust me, Riley can get a guy a raise if he wants to. Bob D is to blame for Riley but not for letting Heyward walk.

I'm still waiting to hear the official reason for his departure. Last night I thought it was money, but Heyward didn't really get a raise when cost of living is factored in. In fact, he got less, even after factoring the lack of State income tax. So, here are some other reasons he may have left:

• Washington is a better, more historical program. Easier to get recognized there.
• Big city life.
• On a staff where everyone recruits/he isn't the lowest paid coach in the conference doing the most recruiting. AKA recognition for results. This one is squarely on Riley–he's paying Brennan and Brasfield 15k more than Heyward.
• No chance of promotion on the OSU staff unless someone dies or retires.
• I hear his fiancee lives in Seattle. But, she also likes Oregon, so I am not sure that was the issue.

Cursory glance and initial reaction is that this looks very bad for Riley and OSU, both in terms of their cluelessness but also what could be brewing on the inside. A lot of recruits have been waffling and looking for something better. Something just doesn't feel right.

I think this comment by FedUpBeav summed things up nicely:

Seems like our most dynamic people like Stansbury and Heyward are being pushed out or deciding to leave because their voices will be more appreciated at many other institutions where the stale and old doesn't rule the roost like at OSU.  Don't like our priorities at all of overly rewarding the dinosaurs that don't feel they have to do anything different and stifling the Young Lions with the most energy.

The only counter-argument I'd make is that the two young, new guys are making more than Heyward (maybe this is simply an inflation adjusted hiring rate vs a cost of living pay increase), but otherwise the statement rings true.

As far as a replacement, haven't heard any names, but knowing Riley and his ignorance of recruiting, he'll likely promote Mitch Meeuwsen. This would be the nail in the coffin. What OSU needs is to hire someone with LA ties who can keep intact the best class in over a decade.

To me this looks like Heyward said, "I'm doing all the recruiting and not getting any of the reward. Guys doing less are getting more". He spoke with his leverage. Sort of like how I said fans should do the same with their wallets.

Something doesn't feel right, folks.