Eastern Michigan makes Spears the interim athletic director

YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) Christian Spears has been made the interim athletic director at Eastern Michigan.

Spears takes over after Heather Lyke left to take the AD job at Pittsburgh earlier this month. EMU said Monday that Spears will start his new role immediately while the school finishes up its search for Lyke's replacement.

Spears is in his third year as deputy athletic director at EMU. He previously worked in the athletic department at Northern Illinois and was acting athletic director there for nearly five months in 2013 following the departure of AD Jeff Compher.