ECU introduced Jeff Compher as the university’s new athletics director. Compher has been athletic director at Northern Illinois University for the past five years. He has past ties to North Carolina having served as an assistant athletic director at N-C State from 1986 to 1992 and was athletic director at Western Carolina from 2000 to 2004. He succeeds Terry Holland who announced his retirement last December. Compher signed a 5-year contract and will start his job May 1. Compher’s move to North Carolina marks the second prominent athletics official to come south from NIU this year following Dave Doeren’s hiring at N-C State to become football coach. I’m George Olsen.