Carl Clapp, an athletic director at three previous stops, will become associate athletic director for administrative services and the No. 2 man in the University of Hawai'i athletic department.

Clapp's hiring, widely forecast in the past two weeks, was announced yesterday by UH, where he said he expects to begin work next week.

Clapp, 47, leaves Saint Mary's College in Moraga, Calif., a Division I non-football school, where he has been athletic director for nearly six years. He has also been athletic director at Redlands University and Avila (Missouri) University.

"If I had an ego it could be a problem (but) everybody is always No. 2 to somebody," Clapp said.

A UH announcement said he will "oversee internal, day-to-day operations of the department, including ticketing and facilities management and the supervision of men's volleyball, baseball, softball and cross-country programs."

Clapp succeeds Tom Sadler, who left in August to pursue a business opportunity.

Clapp said, "the opportunity to be part of an outstanding program that's gaining momentum; the opportunity to work with Herman Frazier, that was very appealing to me. I think it is a great time in my career right now."

Clapp added: "I've been following Herman's career for some time. Dating clear back to when we spent some time together at Arizona State (in the 1980s)." Clapp said he was a part-time assistant football coach when Frazier was an administrator.

Clapp is at least the fourth hire with ASU ties in Frazier's nearly five years at UH.

Mark Orr, former associate AD for the Gaels, was named to succeed Clapp at Saint Mary's yesterday.