Not true. Assistant coach salaries are a significant budget item -- at most BCS schools the sum of all assistant coach salaries is equal to the head coach salary, so we're talking $3 million per year at many schools. At UConn there might be a $2 million budget for assistants; but maybe to make more room in the head coach salary they cut it. Regardless, the budget for assistants is probably well below the average BCS school, and this limits Narduzzi's ability to put together his staff.
If Narduzzi knows who he would bring in as assistants, he also knows how much they cost, and what budget he needs. If he couldn't get that budget, couldn't get his staff, he might reasonably turn the job down, even if his own salary was attractive. It's not just about money, but about being able to succeed. If you don't trust your staff, you don't trust your odds of success.