Saturday, May 8, 1999

Breuer takes
parting shot at
coach Wilton

The departing volleyball player
is critical of how the UH coach
developed and treated players

Star-Bulletin staff

Andre Breuer is returning to his native Germany later this month with two all-American awards, a diploma and mixed feelings regarding his experience as a University of Hawaii men's volleyball player.

Yesterday, Breuer gave the Star-Bulletin a copy of his five-page letter to UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida, dated May 5. In the letter, the middle blocker expressed his dissatisfaction with Rainbow head coach Mike Wilton and his assistants in regards to their treatment of players and lack of player development.

"It is not my goal to have the coach fired but there are things that are wrong with the program that should be looked at," Breuer said. "These are problems that were going on before I came."

Wilton, who replaced Alan Rosehill in 1993, was not available for comment. He gave a written statement to a Honolulu television station yesterday, saying he was not a perfect coach and wished Breuer well in his professional career.

Breuer will rejoin the German national team later this month and expects to be playing professionally this summer. He graduates May 16 in computer science and will forego his final year of eligibility.

In his letter, Breuer listed six major complaints that ranged from poor coaching methods to verbal insults. He contends that he is speaking up for many former and current players who are either not in the position to do so or who wouldn't because of a fear of the consequences.

Breuer said he quit the team on April 7 after a verbal confrontation with assistant coach Tino Reyes and after being told he was no longer a team co-captain. Breuer traveled with the team to Pacific after teammates asked him to return and Reyes called to say it was just miscommunication.

When asked about the incident on April 9, Wilton told the Star-Bulletin that the misunderstanding had been cleared up.

Before Wilton took the Rainbow coaching job, he was a successful women's coach at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His Mustangs ended the Wahine's 55-match home winning streak in 1989.

Wilton's contract at Cal Poly was not renewed after that season following player allegations that practices were too harsh.