John Higgins is in his sixth year as a member of the Iona College Athletic Communications staff. Higgins initially joined Iona as a credited intern during his senior year at his alma mater of Syracuse University in 2009. He was then hired as a Sports Information Assistant that summer, and earned a full-time position in the department in 2011.
Since joining the staff, Higgins has worked with over half of Iona's 21 Division I programs. He is currently the primary athletic communications contact for the women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's water polo, softball, lacrosse and golf programs.
Higgins additionally oversees the department's student assistant and gameday staffs and has been integral in the growth of Iona Insider, ICGaels.com's broadband channel, which provides on demand and live video content. He has also been essential in developing the Gaels' social networking platforms on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Higgins has worked with Iona's teams at the NCAA Softball Regionals in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 and the NCAA Women's Water Polo Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013. During the 2012-13 season, Higgins worked with the women's basketball program as the Gaels made their fourth-ever postseason appearance in the 2013 Women's NIT. He also oversaw the team's media relations when the program won its first MAAC Regular Season championship in 2014, returned to the Women's NIT and publicized the team's first All-American and MBWA Player of the Year.
Over the last two years, Higgins has also increased the publicity efforts of the men's and women's soccer teams, resulting in increased coverage by outlets such as Big Apple Soccer, TopDrawerSoccer, College Soccer News and Bennett Rank. He also led the promotion of Ignacio Maganto's MLS SuperDraft selection in January 2015.
While at Syracuse, where he earned a bachelor's of science in sport management in May 2009, Higgins spent four years as a student assistant in its athletic communications department. He worked primarily with the media relations contacts for nationally ranked programs in men's basketball and lacrosse as well as men's and women's soccer, women's basketball and field hockey.
In that role, he assisted the communications staff at home events, including football and men's and women's basketball at the Carrier Dome, one of the nation's most recognizable athletic facilities. Higgins supplied the on hand media with data and information during the games and answered any prompted questions.
He produced articles that were featured in athletic department magazines, Cuse.com, the official athletics website for Syracuse Athletics, and school wide newspapers. Higgins provided additional content for Cuse.com, including game recaps and student-athlete biographies.
He also helped the department's eight member staff with tasks ranging from official scoring to production of game notes, researching and made several contributions to media guides and official athletics publications. Additionally, Higgins spent time working with the development and marketing departments.
A native of the Bronx, NY, Higgins currently resides in Yonkers.
