Ryan Gorcey of Scout had some interesting details (click here to watch) as to WHY it took so long for Cal to fire Sonny Dykes. The explanation can be seen near the end of this video in the link above.
It’s obvious that other factors were probably at work, like the Cal bureaucracy slowly unwinding to make a decision on their coach. Jon Wilner has more on those factors.
However, if Gorcey’s reporting is to be believed, apparently the Cal Athletic Department was trying to do their best to build their case that Dykes deserved to be fired for cause, which would have greatly reduced the buyout.