The action of hiring Dino or extending Dino was not wrong. The contract given though was wrong.
IMO if a school cannot reasonably afford the buyout, they should not offer the contract. If that means the HC leaves, you have no choice because you are poor.
So let's say SU can afford up to an $8 M buyout (made up number). For a HC wanting $5M-$8M we cannot offer more than a 4 year contract/extension. A HC wanting $3M-$4M we can offer a 5 year contract/extension.
Ball parking it (give or take but likely more take), Dino was around $2.5M for 6 years and after 2018 wanted around $5M with 3 added years. SU should have only added 1 year, but would have had to likely pay more (maybe a $0.5M-$1M bump). Which means SU could have afforded to walk away after 2021.
If that is the state of our program then so be it. Don't pretend to be something you are not. Spending above what we can afford is not wise. A good HC can always leave (look at Notre Dame). Overpaying will only cause harm.