Renowned Michigan athletics counselor Greg Harden, who mentored Tom Brady and Michael Phelps, dies at 75

The man often referred to as the Michigan athletic program’s “secret weapon” died Thursday. Greg Harden died due to complications from surgery, the school announced on Friday. He was 75 years old.

Harden was an administrator and mental coach praised by renowned Michigan athletes, including Desmond Howard, Jalen Rose, J.J. McCarthy and Tom Brady. Olympian Michael Phelps also counted Harden as a mentor while he trained at the university.

“I’m so sad to hear the news of Greg’s passing,” Brady said on social media. “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.”

“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 added. “He will be truly missed.”

Harden was hired by legendary football coach Bo Schembechler in 1986 as a staff consultant and counselor for student-athletes, according to Michigan athletics spokesman Dave Ablauf.

He retired from the Michigan athletic department in 2020, though still advised the program’s athletes in addition to working with professional organizations, including the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs along with corporate executives and community leaders as a performance coach.

“Greg Harden’s purpose in life, as he often talked about, was helping others discover their own,” said former Michigan football coach and current Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh in a statement. “His perspective was unlike anyone’s I’ve ever met, and his wisdom was unparalleled.”

In 2023, Harden shared his mentoring for a wider public audience with the book “Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive,” which became a New York Times and Amazon best seller.

Howard, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1991, was one of the first Michigan athletes to publicly acknowledge the role Harden played in his success.

“Greg was everything you could want in a friend, mentor and confidante,” said Howard on social media. “His guidance helped change the trajectory of my life and our friendship spanned nearly four decades.”