RE is a perfect case study for multiple things being true at the same time, but in total, his first stint was a tremendous boost to the program, the second time through the game changed, he did not and wasn't ever going to. He did have a very strict philosophy on how to run a program, "the right way," and that was something to be proud of. It also possible to do that and still win games because legalized 'cheating" isn't cheating anymore.
Everything else is just projection of people's emotions about his tenures.