John Harbaugh took a subtle swipe at the Baltimore Ravens in a commencement speech at Miami University over the weekend after urging graduates to keep the faith if they ever get fired from a job.
The New York Giants head coach was fired by Baltimore in January after 18 seasons with the team, marking the first ever dismissal of his 42-year career.
Fortunately for Harbaugh, he was able to bounce back from that disappointment immediately when the Giants came calling just weeks later, handing him a five-year contract to take charge in the Big Apple.
And during a commencement speech at his alma mater, Miami University in Ohio, on Saturday, the 63-year-old aimed a thinly-veiled dig at the Ravens by saying there will always be a ‘great opportunity on the next horizon’ following a setback.
‘There are going to be tough times,’ Harbaugh told graduates. ‘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.
‘In those moments, I hope you will find resilience. 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.’
John Harbaugh took a subtle swipe at the Ravens in a commencement speech on Saturday
The 63-year-old was fired by Baltimore after 18 seasons with the team earlier this year
Harbaugh, who won the Super Bowl with Baltimore in 2012, departed the team on the back of one of his most underwhelming campaigns at the helm, having gone 8-9 and missed out on the postseason.
Regardless, as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the league, he was still linked with several vacancies before the Giants got their man in January.
‘You will learn from experience that life is best lived going forward, but it’s best understood looking back,’ Harbaugh added in his speech. ‘Definitely, things aren’t always going to go the way you plan. In fact, sometimes, things will go way better.
‘Sometimes things are going to go so good, you won’t even believe how well they are going. Sometimes the victories are just going to be raining down on you. Your cup is going to be overflowing.’
Miami-Ohio president Gregory P. Crawford even called on graduates to be a Giants fan for the day amid Harbaugh’s attendance, before starting a ‘Go Giants!’ chant.
The New York coach also received an honorary doctorate on the same field where he played varsity football as a defensive back before graduating in 1984.