1.) Going into the offseason I wasn't surprised he was retained. There weren't a lot of good options. But, given what we've learned over the last few months, I'm actually amazed he kept his job. It sounds like it got really bad.
Funny thing is, reports from all the beat sites are the players like him, for the most part. It's probably the only reason he's still around actually.
2.) That is hard to dispute. Even prior to last season, he had two seasons at double digit wins at the end of the regular season, one with 8 wins, and three with 7.
3.) Of all the things that concern me, this is among the least. If anything it's a positive.
4.) I don't see a hangover coming. Even VanGorder looked good early before teams knew what to expect. But, as you say, the defensive line is weak on paper and that's a really bad thing.
One and two are really all that needs to be said by anyone who is skeptical. He let the program slide into dysfunction in year 7. And his performance prior to that was hot and cold.