Short-term more important than long-term, especially with COVID, that's what the extra spots are for (while still allowing you to keep "projects" too).
And you have to sign the guy and pay him if you want him to "stay ready," let alone have access to the playbook and the coaching staff... which he may also yet end up being a member of.
I noticed the article said he was in Texas, North Carolina high school football isn't playing until February so I wonder if he just went back for family reasons or if he found another coaching job.