Would Randy have done better than PP, after coming off the Fiesta Bowl and you answer maybe, maybe not?
Um....ok.
As long as Hathaway was still around, Randy would probably have about done the same as PP. The wheels were starting to come off in the athletic department as a whole, to the point that RE probably felt he didn't have the tools and support to maintain the standard he had set. Hence, time to look for another opportunity. The roster has been thin under Diaco, at the beginning of PP's tenure it was also thinning and it actually traces back to the end of RE's tenure.
On the other hand - if Hogan wasn't president, and we had someone like Herbst in place years earlier to fire Hathaway, maybe RE is able to bring in a couple more players into the program with academic qualification. And instead of lucking into the Fiesta, he wins the BE title outright that year and we're more competitive with OU. And when Michigan and Maryland and other schools come calling, he's happy and decides to stay.