The old saying goes, ‘you never know what you’ve got until its gone.’ Unfortunately, the athletics department is going to realize just how much it misses what it had.
Former Northeastern Sports Information Director Jon Litchfield left Huntington Avenue on June 12 to take a similar position at High Point University in High Point, N.C. Litchfield worked in the Office of Sports Information from 2002 to 2009, helping to oversee media relations for all Husky varsity sports teams.
In his role, Litchfield did a little of everything for the Athletic Department. He was the editor of all sports information publications and the official athletics website, GoNU.com. Most recently, he kept busy serving as the men’s hockey team’s primary media contact, a job that became hectic with media requests after the team tied the school record for most wins in a season with 25 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994.
Not only a well-qualified man for the position, Litchfield also brought a unique personal connection with the school, having graduated from Northeastern in 2004 with a degree in journalism. Before working in the athletic department, Litchfield competed for the Huskies as a runner on the track and field team.
The departure of Litchfield from the Athletic Department is a loss that cannot be understated. Often it is the work of people like him behind the scenes that helps make sure the department runs smoothly and is continually being promoted. The Athletic Department benefited from his experience in his position and the effort he put into his work.
The Athletic Department, and school as a whole, need to do all it can to make sure people like Litchfield stay at Northeastern. High Point is a school that has seen tremendous growth since its founding in 1924, and the school has the ability to expand tremendously both academically and athletically. Litchfield left Northeastern simply because of new opportunities available at High Point. While this school does not have the same opportunities to expand the athletic department in such a way, it would be nice to see the school market itself better athletically to attract others to the university.
Litchfield will no doubt succeed in his new position at High Point because of his exceptional attitude and work ethic. Those who worked with him, however, know just what a big loss this is for the entire Northeastern community.

‘-Patrick McHugh is a middler journalism major and member of The News staff.