UH to re-sign coaches

VonAppen and Wallace are
among a handful of coaches expected
to get contract extentions

By Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin

University of Hawaii head football coach Fred vonAppen can tell recruits he has three more years on his contract, and Rainbow basketball coach Riley Wallace is expected to get a new five-year contract, the Star-Bulletin has learned.

Athletic director Hugh Yoshida will make both recommendations to the school's Board of Regents when they meet next week on Maui, a source close to the university said yesterday.

Yoshida would not confirm the report.

"It's inappropriate for me to say anything at this juncture. It's very premature," Yoshida said.

Part of Yoshida's reluctance to comment could be that the regents must first act on a policy change that will be proposed by UH school president Kenneth Mortimer. He will recommend doing away with the rollover practice and replacing it with fixed terms for the coaches.

Under Mortimer's proposal, the coaches of major sports -- football, basketball and women's volleyball -- will be recommended for five-year contracts. Coaches of the other sports are expected to be given standard three-year terms.

In Wallace's case, since he is in the final year of a three-year contract, his new contract will be for five years.

Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji also will be recommended for a five-year contract. Other UH coaches, including Les Murakami, also in the final year of his contract after not being rolled over twice, will get three-year contracts.

VonAppen, who's in the second year of a three-year contract, will get an additional two years, making it a five-year pact overall.

"I know nothing about it," vonAppen said yesterday. "I honestly don't. I'm supposed to meet with the president either Wednesday or Thursday when he gets back from Japan. I have had no indication of that at all.

"My understanding is I'm supposed to hear something in the next week to 10 days, but no confirmation of any extension or rollover has been made."

The proposed contract extension comes at a key time for the football program. Seven of the nine assistants are on the recruiting trail, making preliminary inquires at junior colleges and high schools.

Coaches can't conduct face-to-face interviews with players until Dec. 1, but the proposed extension will allow vonAppen to tell recruits he will be the head coach for at least another three years.

"At some point in time a determination needs to be reached about the future of this staff," vonAppen said at Monday's Quarterback Club luncheon.

The regents first must adopt the policy change regarding coaching contracts -- for UH-Manoa as well as UH-Hilo -- before they can act on Yoshida's recommendations, which also might include raises.

"Our coaches haven't had a cost-of-living raise since they've been here," vonAppen said. "That's an area I believe needs to be addressed."

Paul Arnett contributed to this report.

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http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu