I don't see why people keep saying Schiano will be so great at recruiting this time around. It's possible. But it's far from a safe assumption.Why couldn't we fire him? Why would we have a $10 million buyout? Is Hobbs going to give the next coach automatic extensions even when we aren't under threat of sanctions?
The point is when Schiano is gone, even if it is only 3-5 years after he comes, the program will be in much better shape for the next coach than it is now. The best X's and O's coach in the world is going to have trouble winning quickly, while he has recruiting momentum, with what Ash will be leaving him.
The moment at which getting into the Big Ten would've helped w/recruiting was when we first entered the Big Ten. Right now, being in the Big Ten (and being crushed constantly) isn't exactly helping with recruiting. Or at least I'd say that the negatives seem to be outweighing the positives.
Also, recruits often form bonds with assistant coaches first, before they meet w/the head coach. It's unclear who would come to RU to coach w/Schiano, and how good they would be at recruiting. It's an unknown. But one would think the better of Schiano's past assistant coaches would, if they are any good, have moved up in the world of coaching and would be unattainable by RU now.
Schiano's reputation improved due to his great program building work here at RU. But then it took some severe hits after. And even now, his stint at OSU is not necessarily helping his case.
I think people tend to place too much emphasis on Schiano's past program building success at RU in forming opinions about how he'd do if he came back. The people who adore Schiano are older RU fans, not high school kids who were little kids when Schiano was having a modicum of short-term success at RU. I think those people are projecting their fondness for what Shiano did onto 17 year olds who have no reason at all to feel the same way.
So yeah, he might recruit better than Ash would (which is setting the bar very low). But would he do well enough to make a substantial difference in just 3 years? I tend to think we're looking at another long term project. And if it's going to be a long term project, why shouldn't RU widen it's gaze beyond one person from the past?