Norm Chow’s direct supervisors — athletic director Ben Jay and Manoa chancellor Tom Apple — are on the record in support of retaining the University of Hawaii head football coach for the third year of his five-year contract.

Chow’s detractors contend UH cannot afford another year with him because attendance and other support will decline drastically, enough to make somehow coming up with $1.3 million for a buyout worth it.

I ran into Apple at halftime of Saturday’s 49-42 win over Army, and he answered "absolutely" when asked if Chow is still his guy for 2014.

But while his bosses on campus are still behind Chow, the same can’t be said for dissatisfied fans who are only temporarily, if at all, assuaged by one win after 11 losses.

I hear them in bars and on the radio. I read what they have to say on blogs and in emails. I agree with them in that coaching mistakes often hurt this team in close games as much or more as poor execution by players.

Clock management errors in consecutive close losses were inexcusable. And the seasonlong third-quarter and penalty problems — which even existed in the lone win Saturday — are indicators of coaching that needs improvement, regardless of what stage of rebuilding a program is at.

But the biggest problem was going through the entire season short a coach. That the position missing was a coordinator made the problem even worse, because ideally the coordinator is a leader among the staff, a trusted and experienced lieutenant of the head coach.

In the simplest of terms, Hawaii went into every practice and every game at a disadvantage of having one less coach than its opponents. And for a young team (coaches and players) that needs even more teaching and learning than most, that disadvantage is compounded.

One of the most important things a head coach does is hire capable assistants who fit into the chemistry of the staff.

YOU WANT Norm Chow out now? I have one suggestion. Organize.

And do it quickly. Show up in person and in numbers at UH. Promise sponsors you won’t buy their products if they don’t work to buy him out.

Silly? Well, judging by the vociferous nature of many of the complaints this means a lot to a lot of people … maybe as much as the team nickname? Back up the words (mostly anonymous) with organization and action and you might get somewhere. Maybe.

Short of that — and I’m 99 percent sure we won’t see a march on Manoa to change the coach — the best you can hope for is an improved staff.

One of the worst-kept secrets is defensive coordinator Thom Kaumeyer being on the hot seat … especially after 59 points and 793 yards were allowed against Wyoming last week and UH lost a game in which it scored 56 points.

Hawaii could be in the market for two coordinators. Chow is 67 and even if he engineers a complete turnaround next year he won’t be the UH head coach forever. It would be wise to hire a coordinator who is also designated as a head coach in waiting.

My list would include UH alumni Dino Babers, Brian Norwood and Nick Rolovich. They all know the Hawaii landscape and they’ve all learned under excellent head coaches. And they all bleed green.

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Read Dave Reardon’s Quick Reads at staradvertiser.com/quickreads.