Program bare? OK. I guess our recruiting rankings probably got a lot better after he left? Oh wait, they didn't. I think if you want an example of a BYU coach working up from a bare cupboard, you look at what Crowton left Mendenhall, and the constraints that the honor code office put on the program at the time.
Lackluster competition? OK, let's talk about his record against P5 teams, shall we, and compare that against what we did before/after he left? Oh wait... That wouldn't support your argument either.