Yes, it happens all the time. It is especially helpful to do so for new D1 coachs before jumping into a power conference where recruiting can be tough. You get a taste of it in the low/mid-major conferences, so you can begin to figure it out, but you margin of error is much wider if you are in those lower conferences with only a few human coachs. Jumping to a low end BCS conference (which would take some pretty decent success at D2) is not something I'd recommend to a new coach to D1. They are going to be on the low end of the recruiting totem pole against some monster teams, a guarenteed losing proposition for a new guy. You are much better off getting "easy" training and success in a lower conference then jumping to a better mid-range BCS school. If you get enough experience under your belt, go for the big jump if you are up to it.