That's what I've seen in articles, the first money comes off the buyout, and you have to be actively looking for a coaching job to keep getting paid, which leads to this secondary theory from the article above:
The other thought is that Les Miles is really taking his future in films and TV seriously as his next career move. Part of the buyout stipulated that Miles had to be “actively searching” for a new coaching job to continue to receive his buyout.
Miles’ agent has certainly earned his keep, with Miles’ name showing up on just about every job search list the last 2 years, however briefly, giving him the appearance of at least looking for new jobs. But Les has also been working in films, his podcast empire with his daughter, and multiple one-off appearances on college football media shows on ESPN and FOX networks.
If Les is heading for a permanent role on TV, such as the long rumored/fan dream of him replacing a retiring Lee Corso on College Gameday, it’s tough for him to then turn around and convince LSU that he’s still “actively looking” for a new coaching job.