John Harbaugh takes subtle shot at Ravens in speech

Months after the Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh, the former coach used a commencement speech at Miami (Ohio) University to tell graduates about bad calls and being told they “don’t want you anymore,” a remark widely read as a pointed reflection on his ow

When John Harbaugh stepped to the podium at Miami (Ohio) University over the weekend, he didn’t talk about football plays or playbooks. He talked about a moment that can flip a life in a heartbeat: the call with bad news.

“There are going to be tough times,” Harbaugh told the graduating class. “You might get a call with some bad news. Maybe about your job. Maybe they will tell you they don’t want you anymore, and it’s time to move on. That happens.”

He urged the graduates to keep going anyway. “In those moments, I hope you will find resilience,” Harbaugh said. “And that you will be able to rejoice in all the good you still have and all the people who still care for you. that you will come to understand there is a great opportunity on the next horizon of your life.”.

For Harbaugh, the words landed in a very specific place. It has been months since the Baltimore Ravens fired him as head coach after a run that included 180 wins, 12 playoff appearances, six division titles, four AFC Championship Game appearances, and one Super Bowl championship.

In the time since, Harbaugh has generally kept his distance from public controversy. He is typically not one to comment on such matters. often choosing silence or a carefully managed response to avoid league punishment. The fact that he picked a commencement stage for a tongue-in-cheek jab—built around the idea of being told. essentially. that you’re no longer wanted—suggests how closely his firing still sits with him.

The timing also puts his message alongside what Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said when Harbaugh was dismissed after 18 seasons. Bisciotti described the decision as instinct-driven and framed it as an obligation to act when he believed the moment had arrived. “I just hope you respect me enough to know that 100%. my instincts told me that this was the time. ” Bisciotti told reporters about firing Harbaugh. “I may be right, I may be wrong, but I did it because I’m in charge of doing it.”.

Bisciotti also emphasized the difficulty of the choice. “We love John like a brother, and it was really the most difficult decision that we made. But we made it. It’s the big picture. We want the Ravens to succeed. I felt it was the right time to make the change. If not now, when?”

Taken together, the remarks form a stark contrast. Bisciotti described the firing as painful but necessary. rooted in his authority and belief that the change had to happen then. Harbaugh. months later. chose language that sounds like a private memory—about a phone call. a job abruptly gone. and the pressure to move on when someone tells you they don’t want you anymore.

For Ravens fans and football people who watched Harbaugh’s tenure unfold—wins stacked. playoff runs reached. a championship secured—the commencement speech reads like more than generic encouragement. It is advice, yes. But it also carries the weight of a man who knows exactly how quickly a job can disappear. and exactly how much resilience is required afterward.

John Harbaugh Baltimore Ravens Steve Bisciotti Miami (Ohio) University NFL coaching commencement speech Super Bowl dismissal