By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
This banner on display during the University of Hawaii's 48-17
season-ending loss to Michigan on Saturday came true for
Coach Fred vonAppen today. "I've heard speculation,"
he said earlier. "I wouldn't be surprised by anything."

---

vonAppen fired UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida this afternoon announced that University of Hawaii football coach Fred vonAppen has been "relieved of his duties effective immediately." Yoshida said the department was already planning interim management. Yoshida said the school will start its search for new head coach in the near future.

Aloha, vonAppen

'I wouldn't be surprised by
anything,' vonAppen said after
a crushing 0-12 season

UH Football report

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

University of Hawaii football coach Fred vonAppen himself said today that he didn't expect to be back next season.

The third-year coach was prepared to meet with university President Kenneth Mortimer and athletic director Hugh Yoshida today to discuss the direction of the program. But Jim Manke, director for university relations, said today that no meeting was scheduled and that the president's office would have an announcement this afternoon.

Asked if that meant vonAppen's future at the university had been decided and that any meeting would be moot, Manke hesitated and then said that a statement from the president's office was forthcoming.

"I talked to the president after the game and he said we'd have to get together in the afternoon instead of the morning," vonAppen said early today, apparently not yet informed that Mortimer had decided to not hold the meeting, which vonAppen had requested two weeks ago.

VonAppen said this morning that he didn't know if he would be dismissed six months after getting a two-year contract extension.

"I have no hard information," he said.

"I've heard speculation. I wouldn't be surprised by anything.

"Any time you go 0-12 you have to believe it's a possibility," vonAppen said Saturday.

The Rainbows have lost an NCAA-worst 18 games in a row, and they have lost support of the fans.

Attendance fell to a 20-year low, prompting the athletic department to issue claims that it could lose up to $1 million this fiscal year. In 1995, former coach Bob Wagner had the final two years of his contract bought out for similar attendance woes.

During Wagner's final campaign, the Rainbows issued an average of 34,633 tickets a game. This season, that total was 29,274. Since 1992, attendance figures have dipped 35 percent.

A further decline in football season ticket sales could put the entire department in financial jeopardy.

"We need to make a decision and put all this speculation to rest," Mortimer said Saturday night. "I know everyone is anxious for some statement to be made."