If we're 3-5 years from getting to 85 scholarships, changing coaches couldn't set us back all that far.
Yes, it will. The last class actually was a pretty full allotment, and this class looks like we'll sign roughly 27-28. By my count, that would elevate the numbers to roughly 76-78 depending on whether or not Darious Thomas and Courtney Thompson become academically eligible again.
This next year's senior class is somewhat small (around 21). If they actually put 25 men on the roster next year, we're looking at possibly getting back to around 79-80. After that, assuming some of the JUCOs redshirt next year, we could get into the lower 80's in three years. However, that's assuming no defections, academic casualties, career ending injuries, etc. and we sign the full allotment and get them eligible and on campus, which never happens.
We need another three to five years. If Snyder hires a decent defensive coordinator and replaces some dead weight (i.e. Miller, Latimore, and Cosh) with decent recruiters, we will be good enough to limp along the next few years while they improve the stadium and get this program back into a better position.
You'd have to believe that there are a lot of coaches out there who would look at our roster and dismiss this job sight on seen because of how long it will take to get it back up to par from a numbers perspective alone. Snyder started this mess back in the earlier part of the last decade, and he should be the one to clean it up.