There simply isn't the talent in Michigan anymore, and recruiting power - to all of them - is dropping fast. There is a reason why so many "other" schools are taking in Foreigners (even mediocre African ones) and better Americans as they have an upside to developing teams that might be competitive. Michigan runners aren't going to cut it anymore.
For some reason, everyone in Michigan thinks they'll be another Ritz. There is a reason the top guys go elsewhere (ND, Colorado, etc.) - Michigan is no longer the "running mecca" that it once was, even in HS, and even that was more in the minds of some people than reality.
In the big 10 it's all about Wisco, and has been for years. At Mich it's about developing foregin middle-distance runners (Sullivan, Willis, Brannen, Ellerton, etc.) which has taken the focus away from local guys, and everytime a blue-chipper (like Mike Woods) doesn't develop, then people start to wonder. That being the case, why would anyone expect things at MSU to be better? Back in the '70's (Mavis, Lindsey, etc.) it was a place people wanted to go, now it's a place where people have to go given little other choice. Not exactly the right mindset to develop top teams. The rest of the conference is almost interchangeable, or just plain weak.
If I were Drenth, I would focus on developing the individuals who were talented enough and motivated enough to actually accomplish things in the sport, individually, and forget the team crap - unless his job is on the chopping block. A couple of individuals who ran well might convince talented recruits to take a look and thence build a team from talent. There are still a few "diamonds in the rough" out there, but very few given the media (and internet) attention these days. HS is still the double-edged sword of doing the work to get noticed, but not so much that College development is a washout.