For the first time in a decade, positions for the University of Hawaii football team are as wide open as a new Broadway show.
Rookie head coach Fred vonAppen and his nine UH assistants will spend the next three weeks analyzing players and positions much like producers and directors deciding who gets the lead and who's on the chorus line.
VonAppen conceded there will be some kind of depth chart entering Monday's first spring practice, but it is a fluid one that allows those on the bottom end of the scale as many opportunities as those on the top end.
"We will be trying to establish our 1996 personality and attitude, which we have some control over," vonAppen said. "We're also trying to evaluate players playing football.
"All the running, lifting and drills we've been going through so far have been insightful, but incomplete. Completion of the mosaic is they have to go out and play football.
"We want to make sure we spend enough time on fundamentals and techniques. But we also have to spend enough time putting in our designs and schemes.
"We have to find what kind of role each player plays because they're all important. That's also key because you want to keep each team member from being distracted."
In vonAppen's mind, a player sitting on the end of the bench can become a worse critic than the media. So this spring, keeping players focused on every play will be a major goal.
To help promote an environment of free and open competition, vonAppen will run drills that are very goal-oriented.
"You won't see us just put the ball on the ground and start running some plays," vonAppen said. "There will be chains up. There will be something to shoot for. OK, we're in a seven-on-seven in a skeleton and it's third-and-eight. If you throw the ball and make nine, the offense won. If you throw the ball and make six, the defense won. And they need to be in the crucible of competition as much as possible because we're fairly young.
"A lot of them haven't been here before. Many have watched failure and success, but more failure. If that weren't the case, then there wouldn't have been a change in coaches. Our confidence has to grow along with theirs."
VonAppen inherits a team that lost its last four games of 1995 by a combined score of 140-58. In addition to the 13 starters lost to graduation, the new coaching staff will be without academic casualties Charles Towns, Marcus Malepeai and Matt Tufono as well.
All three would have played major roles on the 1996 team. As it is, vonAppen welcomes 11 returning starters on offense - although two have shifted to the other side of the ball - and six on defense.
The key returnees are quarterbacks Glenn Freitas and Johnny Macon. Both begin spring camp as the co-starters, but it's unlikely it will end that way in three weeks.
Offensive coordinator Guy Benjamin promises there won't be any musical chairs at this position, as in past seasons. The Rainbows will select a top quarterback for the Aug. 31 opener with Boston College and stick with him.
Injuries plagued Freitas and Macon last year, so redshirt freshman Hunter Young also will see plenty of playing time. Because none of these quarterbacks was recruited for the Rainbows' new West Coast offense, it's difficult to say who has an advantage.
Freitas has worked hard on improving his arm strength and delivery. He is faster than Macon in a foot race and more durable, but ironically, Freitas' age is working against him.
Benjamin pointed out that it takes two years for a quarterback to get comfortable with the system. Freitas is a senior and only has one year left, while Macon is just a junior. The California native also is more elusive if the pass blocking breaks down.
With that in mind, the offensive line is an area of concern. Of the returning starters, the only guys up front are Shane Oliveira, Conrad Paulo, Joe Wong and Michael Petersen, who will miss spring practice because of a shoulder problem.
The Rainbows have a lot more depth at wide receiver. They have three returning starters in Jason Mane, Dillan Micus and Gerald Lacey. There are no returning starters at running back.
"One area of concern is our ability to absorb the scope and sequences of the offense," vonAppen said. "They're excited about it, but being excited about doing something and being actually able to do it are two entirely different things.
"Another is the defense has been abysmally bad statistically. They've got to be able to grow in confidence and we as coaches have to be able to find where we are there. Statistically, we were in the bottom 10 in Division I.
"If you can't at least slow somebody down, then it's going to di rectly affect what you can do offensively. It will be bombs away if you can't stop anybody so one has to assume we have a lot of work to do there."
The Rainbows did get a bit of good news this spring. Top cornerback Doe Henderson was given a medical hardship by the Western Athletic Conference due to his bad back. He is one of six returning starters.
The others are fellow defensive back Al Hunter, linebackers Punahou Aina and Peter Salavea, and defensive linemen Brian Chapman and Ben Bright.
Top offensive lineman Ellie Kapihe has been moved to the defensive front. Slotback Eddie Klaneski has shifted to cornerback.
One area not hit quite as hard is the kicking game.
The Rainbows return long snapper Tyler Tanigawa, place-kicker Carlton Oswalt and punter Chad Shrout.
They did lose kick returner Matt Harding, but Lacey did some return work last year.
"I think everybody is excited to get out there and get to work," vonAppen said.
"But don't ask me how many games we're going to win because I honestly don't know."