Comparing GMFP to Sumlin or Riley really isn't a decent comparison. Sort of apples to oranges. Both of those guys were hired by a program that had had success either in the past or fairly recently, programs that had established fan bases decades old, great gobs of money and facilities, and Brand Name cachet to guarantee elite recruits. Things were expected of them at once, and anything less than s Top 4 finish was considered failure.
GMFP, OTOH, quite literally built this program into what it is. Before he came in as a part of Fran's staff, we had stunk on ice for the better part of four decades. After 18 years of winning, we have that large fan base, great facilities, reasonable gobs of money, and a reputation for developing talent. That new Stadium, weight room, indoor facility, cryo tube, the works: All because of GMFP. He can do whatever the hell he wants to in my book. We owe him that much.
However, TCU will never have Brand Name cachet as A&M, UT, or OU simply because of the size of their alumni/t-shirt fan bases and guaranteed TV ratings. We're always behind the 8-ball. Even moreso now, what with twitter and primadonna 18-year-olds flouncing around like fools, and ESPN hanging on their every utterance. It ain't the Old Game, and it never will be again.