http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600124901/Cleveland-leaving-Y-for-Fresno-State-job.html?pg=all

"According to close friends, the FSU offer is a deal Cleveland cannot refuse...

Cleveland told his players he was taking a new job at 4 p.m. in the Cougar Room of the Marriott Center, where all his returning players but Austin Ainge were present. Ainge is out of town for the weekend. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes...

"It's a no-brainer for Steve to take this job at this time," said former BYU athletic director Val Hale, who worked with Cleveland. "He fits what they need perfectly."...

This is the second time FSU has come after Cleveland with an offer.

Two years ago, Welty offered Cleveland the head basketball coaching job, which Cleveland declined, after BYU president Merrill Bateman reworked Cleveland's contract. Cleveland said the timing wasn't right for a job change. Bateman hired Cleveland in 1997 following the dismissal of then-coach Roger Reid on Dec. 17, 1996.

BYU officials implemented a deferred payment program in Cleveland's contract that stipulates if he leaves of his own volition earlier than the contract stipulates, he forfeits a significant chuck of money — enough to make him think hard about leaving.

Apparently it matters little that Cleveland's BYU's squad won only nine games this past season, a year that started off with a blowout loss to eventual national champion North Carolina in Maui.

But sources close to the negotiations between FSU and Cleveland say an offer on the table is nearly double what the BYU coach currently makes with his base salary and TV and radio contracts as a Cougar coach.

With a salary in the $500,000 range in Fresno, plus a mandate from the school and community, Cleveland could be set for the rest of his life after a few seasons as the head Bulldog coach...

Although Cleveland has been absent from the Fresno scene, he has remained a popular figure in the community due to past winning programs at the local community college and top high school.

According to sources, one aspect of the Fresno State deal worked on Friday was approval by the California State Board of Education and Fresno State Board of Regents to reinstate Cleveland's credited years as an employee at Fresno Community College and Clovis West High School in Fresno.

If credited with 17 years' service, the additional salary as FSU's coach would give the 52-year-old Cleveland a significant retirement package he could tap into before age 60."