This isn't to say that the new UH football coach has been goofing off at the beach or sipping mai tais by a swimming pool.
Just the opposite.
He has been extremely busy trying to put the Rainbows - college football's Humpty Dumpty - back together again.
No, folks. The honeymoon that I refer to has been provided by the Hawaii media.
Now this is generally a UH-friendly bunch, one that didn't even get on Bob Wagner's case that much until the end was near. Several still go by the first name of "Homer".
And, in fairness, this is a clean slate. VonAppen is undefeated so far at UH and he has made all of the right public relations moves with the cozier-than-ever press, along with the fans.
Even the majority of the Wagner diehards and Cal-Lee-for-head-coach holdouts have been swayed by the silver-tongued vonAppen.
Despite being a football journeyman, vonAppen also pleased most local folks with his key hires, including former NFL players Guy Benjamin and Ken Margerum.
But not everyone on the mainland is impressed. I was busy the other day doing some football research at the library - OK, it was a sports bar - when a friend handed me a copy of some shocking material.
The publication is called SCORE. It's out of Boston and is one of those betting service tip sheets - or, as its banner states: a Football Forecasting Weekly.
ANYWAY, here's what SCORE has to say in its most recent edition: (Now remember, these are their words, not mine.)
"HAWAII DISASTER = CASH BONANZA: Zero in on going against Hawaii if you need a new car, wish to pay off your mortgage, need a quick bundle of cash to open your own business or if you need to take care of some hefty tuition bills or loans. New coach Fred vonAppen is better suited for being a towel boy at a health club than for coaching college football. He disgraced himself as Bill Walsh's defensive coordinator at Stanford in 1993 and 1994 when the Cardinal finished 103rd and 105th among 106 colleges in defense, allowing 36 points a game."
There's more: "At Hawaii vonAppen hired ex-Stanford All-American QB Guy Benjamin, a professional BSer with virtually no coaching experience, as his offensive coordinator and longtime coaching hack Don Lindsey (USC, Alabama, Missouri) as his defensive coordinator. Only break for 'VA' is that he opens against overrated BC and their coaching catastrophe Dan Henning."
And finally this: "Remember, on October 12, 1996, San Diego State will crush Hawaii by at least 50 points. Make your reservations for Las Vegas now!"
WHOA! And you think I write nasty stuff about the Rainbows.
So I called up SCORE yesterday and a fellow named Jack Doyle answered. He added more insult.
"VonAppen probably had those early morning (spring) practices so he could play golf with Benjamin in the afternoon," said Doyle. "And has anyone figured out where Benjamin has been for the past 10 years?
"And I know they told Lindsey to take a hike at USC, where he had one of the greatest collections of college players ever."
Doyle said that SCORE has been in the forecasting business for 25 years and is well-respected.
And he said that he's a former heart surgeon: "I gave up my practice because this is more lucrative."
Well, Rainbow helmet-heads, just thought I would pass this on as a public service. Might be good bulletin board material.
Excuse me for a minute, though.
I have to make my reservation for Las Vegas.