Looks like Pincus is staying around though, which seems odd. If the board is unhappy with his performance (and rightfully so), wouldn't starting fresh be a better move?
If you have very little data about a situation, and then start reasoning using only that bit of data, it's very likely you'll get a different result from those who have hundreds of times more data.
Pincus already cashed out and has enough money to live a lavish, comfortable lifestyle. Having someone else take on the task of turning around a publicly held company on a day to day basis is probably very appealing to him. Not to mention, Wall Street likes seeing this type of behavior from companies performing poorly.
Even in a somewhat controversial/borderline-hostile CEO replacement by the board, the ex-CEO often retains some sort of position in the company (say, a seat on the Board)