i took over a team with an A prestige and basically gutted it suffering two seasons of terribleness. http://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/History.aspx?tid=12682
now in my 3rd season the dividends are finally going to pay off; (1) we are undefeated through the CT championship game; (2) we were conference champions; (3) we will be making the NT regardless of whether we win the CT; (4) we will finish with one of the best (if not the best) rpi's in school history; (5) one more win and we will tie the most wins in school history; etc., etc. etc. and with only one senior (who doesn't play) graduating, we're poised for even better results next season.
other than taking this opportunity to humblebrag, my point is that i took over from a good coach who did a great job with a school that he was at 38 seasons and he may have been ****** that i benched the players he recruited and right off the bat had two non-post season finishes. but i used the A prestige to recruit guys that fit my coaching style and it doesn't matter a flying $@#! what the prior coach did or thinks about it. if he reached out to me to discuss the changes, offer his direction, etc. i would have been happy to engage him. and i get that we are emotionally vested in some teams (though after only two seasons, one might call you a bit clingy), but the incoming coaches have to be left to their own devices because whatever they are doing may not work for you...but they can certainly work for them.