You know, I wonder exactly how some of us might do in that sort of scenario...
I.e. if I got the Purdue job, could I do better than Hazell? Just by, perhaps, trying to do my best to hire the right coordinators/assistants, handling it like Herm Edwards as the "GM" approach, and letting them do their thing?
I think at the very least I'd come in with the humility to listen to the people who worked for me, and really only getting involved as the veto in case I thought they were absolutely going the wrong direction.
Obviously I wouldn't "elevate" the program... But could I have achieved >= results to Darrell Hazell? I'd have taken the job for half of what he made [and would have lobbied the AD to boost my coordinator/assistant salaries in turn].