GREENVILLE — East Carolina Director of Athletics Jeff Compher has agreed to a five-year contract extension to April 2023. The new agreement was approved by the University Board of Trustees and announced by ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton on Tuesday.

The original five-year deal signed at the time of Compher’s appointment in March 2013, was set to expire in 2018. Additionally, Compher’s annual base salary has been adjusted to $435,000 effective July 1, 2017.

“Jeff Compher continues to demonstrate the kind of expertise and competitive spirit that will make all of our programs national powers,” said Staton. “That’s where Pirate Nation expects to be, and I’m delighted he’s agreed to lead our athletics programs to even greater goals.”

During his four-year tenure at ECU, Compher has directed significant tangible athletics department improvements, ranging from distinguished academic achievement, program growth, record-breaking fund-raising totals, a lucrative apparel agreement and an unprecedented community service commitment, while providing steady guidance during ECU’s transition into the American Athletic Conference:

 

• Pirate student-athletes combined to post a 3.02 annual grade point average (GPA) for the 2016-17 academic year, the highest since calculations began in 2013-14.

 

• Announced the addition of women’s lacrosse as ECU’s 20th varsity program and the Pirates will conduct their inaugural season of intercollegiate competition in 2017-18.

 

• Spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive life skills division within the department to assist student-athlete development and enhance community outreach programs.

 

• The Pirate Club achieved record-breaking support in the 2016 calendar year, successfully raising $32,866,955 which included an anonymous $2.21-million leadership gift earmarked for the Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Southside Renovation project and the Bennett-Hudson Endowment Fund – the largest in ECU Athletics history.

 

• Negotiated a 10-year top-tier all-sport partnership with the sports brand Adidas beginning in July of 2016. The Portland, Oregon-based company is the official athletic footwear, apparel and accessory brand of the Pirates through the 2025-26 athletic season.

 

• Served a two-year term as chair of the American Athletic Conference AD Committee before being appointed to head the league’s finance committee in the spring of 2017.

 

“I would like to thank Chancellor Staton and the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to continue working with our outstanding coaches, staff and student-athletes,” Compher said. “We have much to look forward to as we represent this growing and vibrant university.

“Collectively, we will continue to make solid progress in the classroom and are committed to improve competitively. I am confident in Pirate Nation and what our future holds.”