Announcement of the new athletic director comes at "a crucial milepost in the growth and development" of Western, said Bardo, citing a rise in academic standards, establishment of a residential Honors College, innovative applications of computer technology to learning, and a growing reputation as a national leader in undergraduate research.
"The university is moving forward and gaining recognition on many fronts. Today, we are taking an important step to assure that the university's intercollegiate athletics program not only keeps pace, but perhaps steps up the pace and leads the way," Bardo said.
"We searched for a person who understands the academic and athletic stature to which this university aspires, and we have found one," he said in introducing Compher. "We searched for a person who would embrace our goals: To compete for nothing short of the conference championship in every sport, every year; to have our student-athletes graduate at rates as good or better than any institution in the conference; to run a clean program, in full compliance with all Southern Conference and NCAA rules and regulations; to increase attention to the welfare of all student-athletes; and to be in full compliance with the letter and the spirit of all laws and regulations involving gender equity."
"We're going to create a plan for championships," Compher said. "I can't tell you what my vision for Western is, but we will develop a plan together. Wins and losses are important. We want to take the field every game thinking we have the opportunity to win a conference championship."
He said he would work to build bridges with every department at Western, as well as with the community. He also wants the student-athletes to be involved with the community.
Western's athletic budget and fund-raising efforts have often lagged behind other Southern Conference schools. Compher said he viewed fund-raising as a primary role in his new job.
He cited a commitment from the university to spend more than $8 million for improvements of athletic facilities, gender equity and competitiveness as a primary reason for taking the job.
Another reason for his interest was the opportunity to come to North Carolina, the state where he met his wife and his two children were born. His wife, Cathy, is a native of Cleveland but moved to Bladenboro and eventually Raleigh, where she graduated from high school. They are the parents of two sons, 7-year-old C.J. and 5-year-old David.
Compher's career in intercollegiate athletics administration began at N.C. State in 1986 when he joined the staff of Athletic Director Todd Turner. As assistant director of athletics, Compher played a major role in establishing the university's first student-athlete life skills program and in developing such organizations as the Captain's Table and the Varsity Club to give current and former student-athletes a voice in the department.
Compher served as assistant director of athletics at N.C. State until 1992, when he began a brief stint in pharmaceutical sales. He returned to higher education in 1993 as director of the Chancellor's Circle at N.C. State, a fund- and friend-raising organization in the university's advancement division. In 1994, he was selected by Chancellor Larry Monteith to serve as assistant to the chancellor.
Compher remained in that position at N.C. State through 1996, when he accepted the position of associate director of athletics at Vanderbilt, joining Turner, who had become athletic director at Vanderbilt. He was promoted to senior associate director of athletics in 1998.
At Vanderbilt, Compher has been credited with revamping the university's NCAA compliance program and opening up lines of communication. He has helped develop an open-door model of communication that invites input from coaches, students, student-athletes, staff, alumni and supporters.
Compher is responsible for overall management of all external components within Vanderbilt's athletic program, including annual giving through the National Commodore Club, media relations, marketing and promotions, corporate sponsorship sales, radio and television properties and broadcast rights, and ticket sales. He also supervises merchandising and licensing efforts.
As associate director, he oversaw weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings for all athletic department administrators and coaches, and he had direct supervision, budget preparation and line responsibilities for several programs, including NCAA compliance, academic support, life skills for student-athletes, strength and conditioning, and equipment.
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