Most public employees do not generate revenue because they provide a service but some college sports generate revenue. That revenue comes from ticket sales, contributions, and media rights for sports like football, basketball, baseball. Those highly paid coaches are paid from that revenue which also tends to fund many other smaller sports.
A lot of university presidents get pretty close to that too, but many states (like Oregon) define universities differently and they’re not “true” public employees anymore.
If you read the article you link, it makes it pretty clear that the baseball team was highly involved in the project including lobbying the government for it and are obviously the main beneficiaries of it, so while it is true that “the funding is for a city owned stadium” attaching “not the team” to the end is dishonest, in my opinion.
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