Michigan announces renowned life coach Greg Harden hospitalized due to 'complications' following procedure Monday
Former Michigan associate athletic director and renowned life coach Greg Harden remains in the hospital due to “complications” from a procedure he underwent on Monday, according to an announcement from Michigan athletics.
The nature of the procedure or the scope and scale of the complications were not made clear. Harden is in his 70s.
“Long-time Michigan administrator Greg Harden went into the hospital for a procedure on Monday and has remained there due to complications. Please keep Greg and his family in your thought and prayers and we ask that all respect their need for privacy at this time,” Michigan athletics said in a statement.
Greg Harden’s role in the athletic department at Michigan was, generally, one worked behind the scenes. As an associate athletic director overseeing athlete health and welfare for nearly 25 years, Harden helped some of the best athletes to come through Ann Arbor reach their peaks, first joining the staff in 1986. He worked with the Wolverines for 24 years, officially retiring in 2019.
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From Jalen Rose to Tom Brady to Michael Phelps — and countless of Wolverines in between — Harden played a role in helping countless athletes train their minds just as they would their bodies. And many of the athletes and coaches he counseled offer rave reviews for how Harden helped them elevate their performance.
“If Greg Harden wasn’t at the University of Michigan, I don’t win the Heisman,” former Michigan wide receiver and 1991 Heisman winner Desmond Howard said in a clip used to advertised Harden’s book.
Eventually, his work earned Harden a spotlight, as he was profiled by 60 Minutes in 2014, delving into his work as “Michigan’s secret weapon” for athletic success.
He also recently published his aforementioned book, Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive, that first hit shelves in August 2023.
While Harden officially retired from his role with the university in 2019, he remains close with the various programs at Michigan, working as a consultant for the athletic department. He began his career working blue-collar jobs in the metro-Detroit area before getting into counseling and working for a drug treatment program, eventually earning his master’s in social work from Michigan while working as a clinical therapist. Shortly after Harden earned his master’s, he was brought in by Bo Schembechler to work with the Michigan football team, and the rest was history for Harden.