Sorry about that, didn't notice.
He did have more to work with, but we also don't fully know whom he is yet. A better idea, but he added to an already well oiled recruiting machine at UGA. His coaching decisions have been hit and miss. How good is we will find out. It is obviously a really good question, is how much he was helped (much like Butters first two years) by a bad SEC east (especially in the 2017 season).. how often is the other two name teams in the East going to completely schit the bed in the same year. Butters was a schit coach, Smart the jury is still out. I think we are agreeing on that point.
I think his road got a lot more difficult w/ the hires of Mullen and Pruitt.
Pruitt will do a lot of what Saban did at Alabama....which is what Smart is doing at UGA.
Mullen will do more of a Meyer type approach - and is MUCH more dependent on the QB than Smart and Pruitt will be.
I think the post I added showing Smart pushing out the "injured" OL is telling. He's going to make room on his roster for better players. Meanwhile, Andrew Mike is still on our roster!
Also, I'd watch what Pruitt is doing. I'm going to guess he'll have a similar recruiting machine as UGA and Alabama by this time next year (if not by November - to get ready for the early signing period).
Mullen has done a good job of beefing up our recruiting staff....but I don't think it's anywhere close to what UGA and Alabama have. It needs to be!
I agree the 'jury is still out' on Smart...but I suspect he'll be a successful coach, if not very successful. He's the one Saban assistant that stayed - and learned from Saban. Most of the coaches, including Pruitt, only spent 3-5 years w/ Saban (Pruitt may have done more than 5 years, as he spent two different stints there). Muschamp had been gone for years when he got the UF job. Fisher had been apart from Saban for years as well when he took over FSU. Butters spent 4 years w/ Saban - and I think Saban made a lot of changes after Butters left (which was 6+ years ago now). So, the jury may still be out on Smart, but he's certainly set up to succeed (especially if he keeps recruiting the way he has).