The NCAA found its new president in the same place it got its last one — the university administration office.

Now, college sports' largest governing body is hoping Mark Emmert can be just as effective.

The University of Washington president became the NCAA's top executive yesterday, ending the search for Myles Brand's successor that began in November.

"It's a pleasure and a challenge to follow Myles," Emmert said. "His legacy is so strong and because of the impact he had on the organization in a relatively short period of time, the foundation for me to build on is very, very strong. But it's a challenge because those are big shoes to fill."

The 57-year-old Emmert emerged from a field that started with nearly 100 candidates, was winnowed to 32, and finally down to the handful of contenders who interviewed with the NCAA's executive committee yesterday.

Emmert will begin serving his five-year term Nov. 1. He earned $906,500 in total annual compensation at Washington, second to only Ohio State's E. Gordon Gee among public university presidents, but the NCAA did not release the financial details of his contract. Brand reportedly earned about $1.7 million per year.

COLLEGE HOOPS

IOWA STATE ALUM HIRED AS NEW COACH

Iowa State has hired former Cyclones star Fred Hoiberg as its new coach.

Iowa State announced the hiring late yesterday after completing negotiations with Hoiberg. He was a prep star in Ames before becoming one of the top players in Cyclones history.

Hoiberg played 10 seasons in the NBA and was the vice president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Hoiberg replaces Greg McDermott, who was introduced yesterday as Creighton's new coach after four losing seasons with the Cyclones.

TENNIS

NO. 1 FEDERER LOSES IN ROME MASTERS

Roger Federer has a long way to go if he wants to successfully defend his French Open title next month.

In his first singles match of the clay-court season, Federer lost to 40th-ranked Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5, yesterday in his Rome Masters opener.

The top-ranked Swiss will play two more tournaments — in Estoril, Portugal, and Madrid — before the start of the French Open on May 23.

"I hope I can come back from this. That's usually what I do after a loss like this," Federer said. "Sometimes it takes a loss to wake up and shake you up for your approach the next week. When you always win, sometimes you forget how hard it is. That's why today I don't get too worried about this loss."

Gulbis was anything but blase about what happened.

"I don't have a word in English for it," he said. "It's indescribable."

Earlier, Novak Djokovic, seeded second and trying to reach a third consecutive final at Foro Italico, defeated France's Jeremy Chardy, 6-1, 6-1, and fourth-seeded Andy Murray beat the top Italian, Andreas Seppi, 6-2, 6-4.

KUZNETSOVA WARMS UP FOR FRENCH OPEN

Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova cruised past Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, 6-1, 6-2, yesterday in the opening round of the Porsche Grand Prix at Stuttgart, Germany.

The third-seeded Kuznetsova won the French Open last year for her second Grand Slam title. She's competing in Stuttgart as a warm-up to the event.

Srebotnik is back after missing eight months last season with various injuries. Once No. 20, she has been eliminated in the first round of all five of her tournaments this year.

In another first-round match, fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland defeated former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-6 (4), 6-4.

HORSE RACING

SIDNEY'S CANDY A SWEET DERBY PICK

Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally will have a tough time holding it together if Sidney's Candy ends up in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs.

The colt is named for the late husband of weight loss maven Jenny Craig, who plans to attend Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Sid Craig died of cancer nearly two years ago at age 76, but she stayed in the racing business to pursue their shared goal of winning this event.

"I told her I would cry if the horse won," McAnally said by phone from California. "They really deserve it.

"Of all the years I've been training horses, Jenny Craig and Sid were the classiest people I've ever been around," McAnally said. "They're the kind of people that have made it in life, but they also spend it."

After leading all the way in three consecutive races on Santa Anita's synthetic surface, Sidney's Candy likely will be the second choice at 6-1 at today's post-position draw.

Trainer Bob Baffert's Lookin At Lucky is expected to be the 3-1 favorite for the 11/4-mile race, despite finishing third to Sidney's Candy in the Santa Anita Derby, the worst showing of his career.

Baffert thinks that's wrong — even though Sidney's Candy has never run on dirt.

"Sidney's Candy should be the favorite ..." he said. "I've watched him work twice here and he looks phenomenal. He'll run well."