Fred von Appen
Encyclopedia
Fred von Appen is a former American football
player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
from 1996 to 1998, compiling a record of 5–31. He also served as an assistant on a number of college football
and NFL
coaching staffs over a 40-year period.
and guard
at Linfield College
in McMinnville, Oregon
, where who he was a three-time all-conference selection. He was briefly in the San Diego Chargers
camp in 1964.
before resuming his coaching career at the University of Arkansas
in 1969. He moved on to UCLA
in 1970, Virginia Tech
in 1971, and then the University of Oregon
from 1972 to 1976. Von Appen made the first of four stints at Stanford University
from 1977 to 1978.
von Appen spent the 1979 season as the Green Bay Packers
' defensive line coach. He resigned during the 1980 preseason in protest of head coach Bart Starr
's lenient punishment of defensive end Ezra Johnson
, who was caught eating a hot dog on the sidelines during an exhibition game. von Appen returned to Arkansas in 1981, where he was the defensive line coach under Lou Holtz
. He returned to Stanford in 1982 for a season. Former Stanford head coach Bill Walsh brought Von Appen to the San Francisco 49ers
from 1983 to 1988, where his duties included special teams.
In 1989, von Appen returned again to Stanford as the defensive coordinator
under head coach Dennis Green
. From 1990 to 1991, von Appen was the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at the University of Pittsburgh
. When Bill Walsh became Stanford's head coach for the second time in 1992, he brought von Appen back as defensive coordinator. Von Appen was the defensive line coach at the University of Colorado at Boulder
before becoming the head coach at the University of Hawaii
. He was fired as from his post at Hawaii after his third season in 1998, a winless campaign.
Von Appen spent the 2000 season as the defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings
and the 2001 season as the special teams coach for the New York Giants
. He retired briefly after the 2001 season, but returned to coaching to serve as the defensive ends coach and assistant head coach at the University of Montana. He retired for good after the 2003 season.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
from 1996 to 1998, compiling a record of 5–31. He also served as an assistant on a number of college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
coaching staffs over a 40-year period.
Playing career
Von Appen was a linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
at Linfield College
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
in McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
, where who he was a three-time all-conference selection. He was briefly in the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
camp in 1964.
Coaching career
Von Appen began his coaching career in 1964 at his at his alma mater, Linfield. He earned a master’s degree in secondary education at Linfield in 1965. After leaving Linfield, von Appen served in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
before resuming his coaching career at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
in 1969. He moved on to UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in 1970, Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
in 1971, and then the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
from 1972 to 1976. Von Appen made the first of four stints at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
from 1977 to 1978.
von Appen spent the 1979 season as the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
' defensive line coach. He resigned during the 1980 preseason in protest of head coach Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
's lenient punishment of defensive end Ezra Johnson
Ezra Johnson
Ezra Johnson is a retired American Football defensive end who played for the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Oilers in a fifteen-year career that lasted from 1977 to 1991 in the National Football League .Johnson played college football in Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia...
, who was caught eating a hot dog on the sidelines during an exhibition game. von Appen returned to Arkansas in 1981, where he was the defensive line coach under Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
. He returned to Stanford in 1982 for a season. Former Stanford head coach Bill Walsh brought Von Appen to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
from 1983 to 1988, where his duties included special teams.
In 1989, von Appen returned again to Stanford as the defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
under head coach Dennis Green
Dennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
. From 1990 to 1991, von Appen was the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. When Bill Walsh became Stanford's head coach for the second time in 1992, he brought von Appen back as defensive coordinator. Von Appen was the defensive line coach at the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
before becoming the head coach at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
. He was fired as from his post at Hawaii after his third season in 1998, a winless campaign.
Von Appen spent the 2000 season as the defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and the 2001 season as the special teams coach for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He retired briefly after the 2001 season, but returned to coaching to serve as the defensive ends coach and assistant head coach at the University of Montana. He retired for good after the 2003 season.