English will fill the spot on the UH staff vacated by Ken Margerum, who was named the head coach at Division III Menlo College early last week.
VonAppen said that Guy Benjamin, who was instrumental the past few months in getting the UH players back on the right academic path, will still handle the quarterbacks. He also will continue to play a key role in keeping the UH players academically sound.
"Guy has done an excellent job of getting our players in line academically," vonAppen said. "We went from losing 16 players our first year to only two this spring.
"We're very lucky to have a coach of Wally's experience and expertise. We coached together at Virginia Tech in the early 1970s, and he and (UH defensive coordinator) Don Lindsey were together at Arkansas."
Like vonAppen, English has an extensive coaching background at the collegiate and professional levels. Over the years, he has coached several All-America quarterbacks, including Don Strock at Virginia Tech, Marc Wilson and Jim McMahon at Brigham Young, and Dan Marino at Pittsburgh.
English has spent most of this decade in the European Leagues at such outposts as Palermo, Italy, Deggendorf, Germany and Birmingham, England. He also had a one-year stint with the Ohio Glory of the World League of American Football.
VonAppen hopes this extensive experience will improve the offensive numbers over last year. UH will keep some of the West Coast framework with English integrating many ideas of his own.
"I've been running a pro-style offense for 15 years," English said yesterday. "We're going to try to get everyone on the same page this spring. The offense won't be strictly West Coast.
"It will be a blend of the two. Everybody who runs the West Coast offense has their own version of it. I'm going to meet with the coaches, listen to what they have to say and mix their input with mine."
VonAppen agreed with this approach.
"I've always said we were going to use a pro offense," vonAppen said. "I didn't have a problem calling it the West Coast offense, but what is that really? It's an offense with two backs, a tight end, a flanker and a receiver.
"Well, we're going to continue to do that. I'm sure Wally will add his own touch, but he and Guy will exchange ideas. Wally will handle receivers, but we hope to have it set up where he won't be tied down to any one position."
If the Rainbows don't lose graduate assistant Tim Green, he will help English coach the receivers. English also will be heavily involved with the quarterbacks.
He handled a similar role with the Miami Dolphins in the early 1980s. English also coached at Detroit and Denver in the pro ranks. He was the head coach at Tulane University in the mid-1980s, and served as offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech.
"When you're a young coach in this business, you have an ego you need soothed," English said. "But I'm past that now. I'm more interested in working with good people and living in an area my wife and son can enjoy.
"I was out here in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl in the early 1980s. It's a wonderful place. Fred is also a good man with a lot of integrity and honesty. He's the main reason for me coming here.
"Hopefully, I can help get this program moving in the right direction. I believe I can, but no one can do it by himself. It takes a team effort among the coaches and the players."
English, who graduated from Louisville in 1960, came to Hawaii this time around with his youngest son. His wife will join him on the next visit. She has a coffee shop in Louisville, Ky., that she's trying to sell.
"She's a world traveler, who's looking forward to living in Hawaii," English said. "We've spent the last few years knocking around in Europe, so we feel coming to Hawaii will be a good change for us."