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John Hartrick (Binghamton University), 25-Year Award
by David O’Brian, Associate Sports Information Director, Binghamton University
The Hartrick Family: John and Jeanette and their six children.
Being a sports information director for a quarter of a century at a single institution is an accomplishment in itself. For
John Hartrick, however, his career at Binghamton University has been notable for so much more than just the length of his tenure.
Hartrick arrived at Binghamton in 1991, when the athletic department was still competing at the NCAA Division III level. He was the first full-time SID hired by the university. He had to establish an office from scratch.
In the ensuing 25 years, Hartrick has continued as the SID as Binghamton transitioned to the NCAA Division II level in 1998 and to its current Division I status, which began in 2001. Few SIDs have worked at all three NCAA Division levels. Even fewer have done so at one institution.
When Hartrick arrived at Binghamton University, the internet was still in its infancy. Today, his office includes not just the athletic department’s official website but a streaming video production component (which has been in existence since 2008) as well as a comprehensive social media hub.
What has made Hartrick able to flourish at Binghamton is his ability to adapt and evolve — not just to different NCAA levels but also to an industry that has been consistently changing the past quarter century. In short, his approach to his job has been anything but status quo.
Head baseball coach Tim Sinicki arrived at Binghamton a few years after Hartrick. With Hartrick as his sports contact for over two decades, Sinicki has seen his work first hand.
"It's been an honor to work with John,” Sinicki said. “He has earned the respect and admiration of the coaches, administrators and student-athletes by virtue of his commitment and dedication to make his office a reliable place for news, features, facts and cutting-edge technology."
During his tenure, Hartrick has gotten to known and work with hundreds of athletes. Many of them have long since graduated but still remember him fondly.
Marybeth Lenox, a 1994 graduate, worked for Hartrick while she played on the varsity soccer team. She later worked with him when she moved into an administrative role in the athletic department.
“It is difficult for me not to credit my initial love of athletic administration to John,” she said. “He is the consummate professional whose talent is only topped by his genuinely humble nature.”
During the 1990s, Hartrick was in charge of promoting the university during its most successful decade at the NCAA Division III level. Known then as the Colonials, Binghamton was one of the top programs in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).
Hartrick was one of the most respected sports information directors in the SUNYAC. Many of them, including Fran Ella of Cortland, remain good friends today. From a distance, they have watched Hartrick make the smooth transition from the Division III level.
“I saw John run an incredibly efficient and proficient sports information operation when Binghamton was Division III,” he said. “Then I watched him smoothly make the move to Division II and eventually Division I without changing the core components of what makes him special."
Binghamton joined the America East Conference in 2002 and since then, Hartrick has been the longest-tenured head SID in the conference. As was the case in the SUNYAC, he has become just as revered by his peers.
Lisa Champagne worked at the University of Vermont for the first 14 years that Binghamton was in the America East. Although she has since moved on to another conference, her respect for Hartrick remains evident.
“The two words that come to mind to describe John are kind and caring,” Champagne said. “He genuinely cares about his student-athletes and makes the job of publicizing their accomplishments in and out of competition look effortless.”
In the 25 years since Hartrick arrived, the Binghamton community’s sports scene has changed significantly. The one constant for the local media has been working with Hartrick — which has not gone unnoticed.
Roger Neel has been the longtime program director at Town Square Media and also the play-by-play voice of the Binghamton men’s basketball team since 1999.
“No one does a better job in promoting their school more than John does for Binghamton,” he said. “Student-athletes, families and staff should be happy and proud to have someone of such high caliber working with Binghamton Athletics.”
It takes a special person to be a sports information director for a quarter of a century and flourish with as much change around them – both within an athletic department as well as in the industry. It takes an even more special person to do it in a matter that has gained the respect and admiration of everyone around them.
Simply put, John Hartrick is that person.
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