John Harbaugh tells Miami of Ohio graduates how a January firing taught him resilience
Four months after Baltimore let him go, Harbaugh stood in front of his alma mater's Class of 2026 and turned the worst week of his career into a 16-minute address.
John Harbaugh spent 18 years as the Baltimore Ravens' head coach. He was fired in January 2026 two days after the team's 8-9 finish. On Saturday he stood in front of the Miami University Class of 2026 (his own alma mater, where he played defensive back and graduated in 1984 with a political science degree) and built a 16-minute commencement address around what he learned from being let go.
What did he actually say about the firing?
Harbaugh leaned into it directly. 'There's going to be tough times,' he told the graduates. 'You might get a call with some bad news. Maybe about your job. Maybe they'll tell you they don't want you anymore. Time to move on... In those moments, I hope you'll find resilience.' He framed the moment without bitterness toward Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti or general manager Eric DeCosta. The point was the path forward, not the wound.
Where is Harbaugh now?
He's the new New York Giants head coach. The team hired him on January 14, less than a week after the Ravens dismissal. Harbaugh is in his first OTAs cycle with quarterback Russell Wilson, the rebuilt offensive line, and rookie linebacker Carson Bruener. He turned 64 in March.
What was the main theme of the speech?
Resilience and care. Harbaugh told the audience that the people who recover from setbacks tend to be the ones who lean into other people rather than withdraw. He quoted his late father Jack Harbaugh, a longtime college coach, twice. The brother reference (Jim Harbaugh, now the Chargers head coach) drew the loudest applause of the address.
Why Miami of Ohio?
Miami's nickname 'the Cradle of Coaches' is a literal description of its football alumni. Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Ara Parseghian, and Sean McVay all went through Oxford, Ohio. Harbaugh's 1984 degree and his football career under coach Tim Rose put him in that lineage. The university announced his commencement keynote in February 2026, less than a month after the Ravens firing.
What did he leave the graduates with?
A line he attributed to his father: 'Attack the day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.' Harbaugh has used the phrase across 18 NFL seasons, dozens of postgame press conferences, and his 2013 Super Bowl XLVII victory speech. He told the graduates that the words apply equally to a Super Bowl coach getting fired in January and to a 22-year-old walking off a stage with a diploma.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Harbaugh cites lessons from Ravens' firing in commencement speech
- Sports Illustrated: Harbaugh uses personal experiences to inspire graduates
- NBC Sports: Harbaugh emphasizes resilience, discusses firing at alma mater's commencement
- Yahoo Sports: Harbaugh talks of finding 'resilience' after Ravens firing
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