Yes, W/L not improved, but the case you've laid out for Whitman isn't nothing.Whitman's hires in football and basketball are 4-25 and 11-27, respectively, in Big Ten play. Both programs are markedly worse as a matter of fact.
The case for Whitman is that he's brought peace and stability among both the donor and administration powers that be atop the DIA (the real day-to-day job of an AD) and that in a vacuum both of those hires were solid results of solid processes. There's every reason to believe he's as likely to make a sound next move as anybody else would be.
If he makes a better hire this time -- one that does get results in terms of W/L, say one who is the FB equivalent of BU (yes, this presupposes dancing this season) -- then I think the case for "JW doesn't deserve hate" gets even stronger.