After reading through all three threads, here is my opinion...important to note I have zero sources, this is just my theory.
I think the AD is protecting themselves with plausible deniability. Probably what has happened is after the Bama game, or maybe earlier, Hart went to the money men and said he might be looking for a new coach at the end of the year or sooner, and to go shoot for the stars and gauge interest from the biggest name or names out there. From that point on, the AD has been removed from the process, save Hart with maybe some questions about buyout money. The rumors about a deal being brokered are leaking from sources on the booster side working independent of the AD. Maybe a deal has been brokered, maybe it hasn't, but there may have been a single contact with Hart that has basically said we a a big fish lined up and paid for, should you want to pursue a change in guard. Everyone knows who it is, but nobody is saying it outright, for obvious reasons.
Having the donors handle the leg work and get it done protects Hart and explains the leaked rumors and simultaneous denial of all things Gruden coming from the AD right now. It seems at this juncture, the confirmed people with sources in the AD (skeeter, deerpark) are saying they have heard nothing and this is nonsense. The sources prevalent in thus thread might have sources close to the big money getting this done, hence the two different camps with opposing opinions.
Seems reasonable to me.