Does anyone else feel that the timing is more than a little coincidental?
If it's true that Woodward was finally out anyway, then clearly the holdup on the contract was the negotiation with them over being the successor. It makes sense for him to want to move there if he was actually going to have control and be able to clean house.
So after they spectacularly cack up, he says no thanks, I'm not walking into that mess and renews with us.
I look at that and say, "Well played." That's good stewardship of his own career. It suggests that he, in fact, does know what he is doing.