University of Hawaii football coach Fred vonAppen says his contract status needs to be settled soon so the team can concentrate on recruiting for next season.
The coach has just about a year left on his original three-year deal, and would like an extension so he and his assistants can reassure recruits they will be here.With no game this year, vonAppen and staff are hitting the recruiting trail, visiting junior colleges and high schools in Hawaii and on the mainland to find players to wear the green and white for the coming four or five seasons.
VonAppen says interest both locally and nationally has been good, but he fears opposing schools will use his lack of contract security as an issue to lure potential recruits away.
"If they're sensible about the recruiting process, then they have a check list and one of them will be what's going to be your longevity there," vonAppen said Monday.
In the meantime, vonAppen says he will continue to "coach the stew" out of the Rainbows until the university tells him not to. "And then we'll shower and leave, and not necessarily in that order," vonAppen said.
The `Bows (3-6, 1-6) are coming off a 34-27 loss to Air Force.