What followed 20 months ago was the beginning of the end of Bob Wagner's reign as head coach at the University of Hawaii.
In rapid succession, coordinators Paul Johnson and Chris Smeland handed in their resignations, followed quickly by the departures of Al Beaver and Kenny Niumatalolo.
What was left in the spring of 1995 was a football program in ruins. Wagner was forced to hire five new coaches and promote George Lumpkin and Bill Souza as his coordinators.
They didn't last the year.
About the time Wagner was handed his walking papers in late November, Sewak was just finishing his first year as the offensive coordinator at Ohio University.
The Bobcats were a dismal 2-8-1, but Sewak was safe for another season or two, unlike his friends across the water. Had Sewak turned his back on the Ohio University job, he probably would have gone down with them.
"There was no way to know what was going to happen," Sewak said yesterday. "I left because this was a good opportunity for me to grow as a coach and move closer to our families. It's tough to turn down grandma.
"But it also was very hard for me to hear about what happened to coach Wagner and his staff. A lot of those coaches were my friends and colleagues. I also felt for the players because a change like that can be tough."
Sewak was an original member of Wagner's staff. He came on board in 1987 from Georgia Southern as part of the Johnson package. Together they introduced the spread option offense and were key ingredients to leading the Rainbows to their Holiday Bowl win in 1992.
"That had to be the highlight of my career in Hawaii," Sewak said. "Nobody ever thought we could win the WAC, much less beat a Big Ten team in the Holiday Bowl.
"What I saw on TV last Saturday night was a team a lot like that one. I thought they played hard with a lot of heart and should have won the football game. They did a good job against a tough Boston College team."
Sewak hopes the Rainbows aren't quite as sharp against his improving Bobcats this Saturday night at Aloha Stadium. Ohio University is coming off a 44-14 Mid-American Conference win over Akron last Thursday. Thanks in part to a rash of turnovers by the Zips, the Bobcats scored 31 points in the second quarter.
"A year ago, I would have been embarrassed to bring our guys out there to Hawaii," Sewak said. "We've still got a long way to go, but everybody is beginning to understand what we're trying to do.
"We have some assistants (including former UH coach Jeff Mullen) who understand the terminology. It's nice talking about formations without having to point to the screen."
UH quarterback Glenn Freitas jokingly said that he would have to get together with Rainbows defensive coordinator Don Lindsey and give him some pointers on how to stop the spread.
"I got a kick at watching Glenn out there against Boston College," Sewak said. "When he was just a young guy, I always wanted him on our team in the spring game because he was a winner."
Sewak expects Freitas will be as effective this week against the Bobcats. And as much as he's looking forward to seeing everyone again this week, his top priority is to win a football game.
To do that, the spread must move the ball consistently against Hawaii's 4-3 defense. Ohio University also has to be able to defend the Rainbows' new West Coast formations.
"If they were still running the spread, I'd be able to help the defense some this week," Sewak said. "Now, I can't help them at all because everything has changed."
Sewak also faces the formidable task of establishing traditions at a school that doesn't have any. Ohio hasn't had a winning season since 1982 and Sewak doesn't believe coming to Hawaii is a good way to make it happen in 1996.
"I get to do all the bellyaching I heard from all the other coaches about how tough it is to play in Hawaii," Sewak said. "The kickoff is 1 a.m. our time, and the trip back makes it tough on us for the game the next week.
"But hey, it's going to be a lot of fun coming back to Hawaii. I like Ohio and what it has to offer, but that doesn't mean I don't have a lot of good memories over there, because I do."