John Harbaugh said one final goodbye after nearly two decades in Baltimore.
The new Giants coach thanked his former fans in a full-page advertisement in Saturday’s Baltimore Sun following an 18-year run that included a Super Bowl triumph.
“When (wife) Ingrid, (daughter) Alison and I arrived in Baltimore, we knew that we were joining a football organization,” Harbaugh wrote. “What we couldn’t have fully known then was that we were becoming part of a city, a culture and a community that is bonded together by a shared sense of strength and unity.”
Harbaugh joined the Ravens in 2008, and said in his letter he noticed the first time walking onto the field at what’s now called M&T Bank Stadium how “Ravens football is different.”
“The standard is high, the values are second to none, and the meaning of it all transcends white lines,” he penned.
Baltimore went 11-5 in his first season and finally cracked through in his fifth season, winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl during the 2012 season by besting brother Jim’s 49ers team.
The Ravens made the playoffs 12 times in his 18 seasons, reaching that lone Super Bowl.
Harbaugh posted a 180-113 regular-season record, setting the franchise’s record for wins by a head coach, along with a 13-11 postseason mark.
In addition to the fans, the 63-year-old thanked Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, the players and coaches.
“To the players who worked hard, fought, believed and always played with the hearts of lions, THANK YOU,” Harbaugh wrote.
“Your commitment to one another, to the standard, and to this city is what made our success happen. Coaching you has been one of the greatest privileges and joys of my life.”
Harbaugh now will attempt to replicate that success with a Giants franchise that has not enjoyed sustained success for more than a decade and needs a jolt.
He’s already begun shaping his Giants staff after signing a five-year contract.
“Football can be about wins and losses, but what lasts are the relationships, the shared moments and the bond between a team and its city,” Harbaugh wrote at the end of his message.
“Those memories will echo forever.”
