Betz-Haukap named Chief of Staff, three senior leaders promoted

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek has hired a new Chief of Staff and promoted three senior staff members. Claire Betz-Haukap joins the department as the Chief of Staff with Kat Devenport, Rick Thorpe and Matt Trantham receiving promotions within the department.

Betz-Haukap is set to become the new Chief of Staff within the athletics department this month and take over sport administrator duties for gymnastics. She joins the Hogs from Central Florida, where she was the Knights’ Chief of Staff since June 2021. In her role at UCF, she was responsible for the daily operations of the athletics director’s office, coordinating staff schedules, setting department priorities while working directly with the UCF Athletics Association Board of Directors. She helped oversee major facility projects, including Roth Tower, Hagle Gateway, McNamara Cove and the Wayne Densch Athletics Center. She led efforts in coordinating the groundbreaking event for the $90 million Roth Tower in December 2024.

Prior to moving to UCF, Betz-Haukap spent four years at Arkansas State rising to the Assistant Athletics Director / Administration after working at the Red Wolves Foundation and beginning her career as a recruitment advisor in the Office of Recruitment. She graduated from Arkansas State and is a native of Van Buren, Mo.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Claire and her family to Arkansas,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “Her experience helping lead and organize multiple athletic departments during her career will be valuable to us as we continue to grow our Department of Athletics. Her knowledge of our region and state will help her hit the ground running and be an asset to our department long term. I’m also excited to recognize Kat, Rick and Matt for all of their hard work that continues to help shape Arkansas Athletics and the experiences of all of our student-athletes, fans, donors and sponsors.”

Devenport moves into a Senior Associate Athletics Director role as the Senior Woman Administrator. The former Razorback soccer player joined the athletics department after earning her undergraduate and Juris Doctor degree from the University. She began in 2012 working in compliance before moving into administration in 2018 as the Director of Administration then being promoted to Chief of Staff in 2019. In her new role, Devenport will serve as the sport administrator for women’s basketball and continue as the administrator for soccer.

Thorpe has been promoted to Sr. Deputy Athletics Director / Resource Generation. He joined Arkansas in February 2019 as the Deputy AD / External Engagement. Under Thorpe’s leadership the Razorbacks have experienced record revenue generation in nearly every category during his tenure. He will continue to serve as the sport administrator for football and men’s tennis while assisting Yurachek in the daily administration of the department while overseeing the department’s external units and serving as the liaison to the Razorback Foundation.

Trantham has been elevated to Sr. Deputy Athletics Director / Event Operations & Championship Facilities. He joined the Razorbacks in 2008 as the Senior Associate Athletics Director / Internal Operations and has been instrumental in improving Arkansas’ facilities and events during his time on The Hill. He also serves as the sport administrator for men’s basketball and men’s and women’s golf assisting all three programs into the postseason during the 2025-26 year. He will continue to lead the department’s facilities and event management staff while overseeing facilities projects for Arkansas Athletics.