The Wolverines took a major loss with the passing of Greg Harden, from complications following surgery.
“There is no one better than Greg Harden and we are devastated as a Michigan family by this news. Greg has positively impacted the lives of so many student-athletes, coaches and staff at Michigan,” Warde Manuel, the University of Michigan’s Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics, said in a press release. “He made an unbelievable impact on my life. I am grateful and lucky to have had him in my life for the past 40 years. I will be forever indebted to Greg for all that he did to help shape me into the person that I am today.”
The CBS news magazine 60 Minutes described Mr. Harden as “Michigan’s Secret Weapon” in a 2014 profile. You might not have heard of him if you just focus on the head coaches and the student athletes blowing up on social media – but if you care about Michigan Athletics as an institution – as a community, a educational center with an equal sense of importance on athletics, academics and personal growth – it is hard to overstate the impact Harden had and just how big of a loss his passing represents for Ann Arbor.
The 75 year old Detroit native has been part of the U of M community since getting degrees in general studies and social work as a young man. The same press release from the university praised Harden’s “collaborative style and efforts helped to strengthen the athletic department’s connection with the larger university community” as he worked his way up the ladder and helped influence the culture and strategy of Michigan Athletics.
“My real obsession is to convince an individual that they must determine for themselves what sort of man, what sort of woman they want to be,” Harden is quoted saying in the press release of his approach to his career. ”The goal is to make people experts on themselves.”
There are literally thousands of student athletes who have had contact with Harden since he joined the athletic program as a staff consultant in 1986, according to mgoblue.com. Some of his contributions to collegiate athletics before his 2020 retirement went all the way to the top of American athletics.
“I’m so sad to hear the news of Greg’s passing. I’m heartbroken as he was a dear friend and mentor. There are so many beautiful qualities Greg had that endeared him to so many people over his years at Michigan,” Tom Brady posted on X (formerly Twitter). The seven time Super Bowl Champion went from being a promising college athlete to a generation-defining professional one in no small part due to the time when he was formed as a collegiate athlete during his four years in the Big House from 1996-1999 of course. “He meant the world to me and I could never have had the success I had without the time, energy, love and support he had given me. He will be truly missed.”
The press release acknowledging Harden’s passing includes a list of similar testimonials on the impact that Harden had on the students whose lives passed through the Athletic Campus. Each one is touching in its own way, but what is most noticeable is the sheer breadth and scope of the outcomes of the lives that the people Harden helped mentor had.
“For nearly 30 years, Greg Harden played an active role in both my personal and professional development. He stood by my side, without question, during some of the most memorable moments of my life,” Abigail (Rowe) Eiler, a water polo team member from 1999 to 2003, who went on to a professorship at the School of Social Work wrote. “As a high school and collegiate athlete, an emerging social work scholar, a new wife and mother, and what Greg coined a ‘workaholic, committed to the game,’ he mentored me with unwavering care and compassion every step of the way. Greg has been a source of support and guidance for many, and I am forever grateful for his presence in my life – my life is better because of him.”
Stephanie “Stevie” Johnson, who was part of the women’s field hockey team during the same period, and is now the NFL’s Senior Director of Marketing Strategy and Planning said that she was grateful for Harden’s support in “helping me face my fears and grow stronger in ways I hadn’t imagined I was capable of. He had this amazing blend of being tough, when needed, but always with a tender, understanding approach. What I’ll always remember is how, even during some of the most challenging times Greg guided me through, he could find a way to bring me a laugh or a smile. His ability to infuse positivity into difficult moments made a huge difference in my journey. I feel so fortunate to have had his guidance and care. Greg’s legacy of resilience and warmth continues to inspire me, and I carry it with me every day.”
In addition to his athletic contributions, Harden was a motivational speaker, social worker and a consultant who became a New York Times bestselling author last year. Forbes wrote in a review of “Stay Sane In An Insane World: How to Control the Variables and Thrive” that his self help book focuses on how to vanquish self-doubt, engage in self-love, take a holistic view of life and, as Harden put it, “control the controllables.”
Harden is survived by three children according to the U of M – Brian, Victor and Olivia, as well as his sister Lynette. The press release said that the family appreciates well wishes, but desires privacy to mourn. Decades worth of Michigan athletes and fans have good reason to mourn alongside them, even if it is from a distance.
Drew Saunders is a freelance business and environmental journalist who grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. He covers local business developments, embraces his foodie side with reviews restaurants, obsesses over Michigan's environmental state, loves movies, and feels spoiled by the music he gets to review for Ann Arbor!
