I know that Nebraska never gets a Saban, Meyers, or Harbaugh. But we should be able to get someone in the next tier if you pay handsomely. I like Riley. But if you wanna play with the big boys you'd better go for a big boy coach.
A vast majority of the time, P5 programs are getting their coach from the following ranks: G5 head coaches, P5 coordinators and failed NFL coaches. It's not about pay. It's more about luck and timing. NU could have lured Fuente or Herman to Lincoln in 2014 for less money than Riley.
The rub is you don't know if these guys are "big boy coaches" until a few years later. For every Peterson, there are a whole bunch of Dan Hawkins and Dave Doerens.