"there is no way that a deal like this gets done without conversations going on for quite a while."
It seems like some people are referencing mid-November as if it were months ago... but it's only been about 20 days. Unfortunately, these kind of negotiations do not typically open-and-close overnight.
And as clean & tidy as I'm sure Mario would have liked this to have gone, rarely does it work like that. Would any of us be surprised if Miami "quietly" leaked that Mario was in negotiations with the Canes in order to put heavy pressure on him, and poison the well for him with Oregon?
At least Mario didn't set our program back as our two previous HC's did. If we get the right replacement, as in Dave Aranda (but I don't think he'd leave Baylor for Oregon), we will continue to improve. Obviously, recruiting will take a hit this year, but I think Aranda would be able to hang onto most of our current players, and next year we would be very competitive in the recruiting world.
I wish Mario all the best. Those who are a bit but hurt over this, need to recognize that this is no longer your "Father's Oldsmobile" -- and hasn't been for at least a couple decades.