“Focus on being the best version of yourself” — Greg Harden’s words to Tom Brady are a testament to the impact he had on athletes. However, future generations of athletes will not experience this same level of influence. Known as Michigan’s “Secret Weapon,” Harden is no longer in this world. As a majority section of the sports community mourned, ex-NBA star Jamal Crawford also took X to express deep regret.

Crawford highlighted all the help he received from the late Michigan Administrator during his time at the University. “… Always positive, always real! Prayers to his family. Only one G Harden. RIP legend,” he wrote. Notably, Crawford made it to the NBA after playing just one season with the Michigan Wolverines. During his time there, he averaged an impressive 16.6 points and 4.5 assists.

His message of condolence came in response to the update provided by the official X account of Michigan Athletes. As per the update, the Michigan Administrator passed away after complications from surgery. Leaving this world at the age of 75, Harden is survived by his wife Shelia and three grown-up children. The post shared by Michigan Athletes further highlighted Harden as the mental coach for thousands of student-athletes.

Notably, apart from Jamal Crawford, Greg worked with multiple other athletes during his time in Michigan. Some of them would later reach the pinnacles of their respective sports. NFL legends Tom Brady and Desmond Howard, ex-NBA star Jalen Rose, and the most decorated athlete in Olympics history (28 medals) Michael Phelps are just some of the names Harden worked with.

It was Michigan’s Secret Weapon’s impact that all these athletes have expressed a great sense of loss and grief at the news. Phelps shared a photo with the late mental coach captioning it — “My guy G. I’m so blessed for our time… RIP”. Meanwhile, Brady took to X, expressing his heartbroken state over losing a close friend and a mentor.

Desmond Howard, who once stated he would not have won the Heisman Trophy if it was not for Harden, also grieved over the loss of his former mentor. The XXXI Super Bowl MVP fell short of words in expressing the great loss he felt. He, however, still highlighted Greg as everything one could ever want in a friend, mentor, and confidante. “His presence will be missed by all of us,” Howard further stated.

Simple words of impact from Greg Harden

If you want to learn from the teachings or maybe learnings of the late Michigan Administrator, his book Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive is one to go for. If you want to be sure of the kind of difference his teachings created, the aforementioned athletes are prime examples.

NFL legend Brady had himself, in a 2023 Forbes article, recalled his former mental coach’s learnings. “Work as hard as you can. If you’re only going to get one rep, do it perfectly,” was a part of a lesson for Brady who would go on to collect 7 Super Bowl championships and 5 MVP titles.

Apart from this, the value that Greg provided to the NBA through his mentees is also invaluable. Just like Jamal Crawford and Jalen Rose, Ex-Sacramento Kings star Nik Stauskas was yet another talent influenced for good by Greg.

Now, Stauskas may not have had a shiny NBA career like Rose or Crawford, but he credited Harden for what he had. “He’s (Harden) helped me a lot… That’s the main reason why I would say I’m a different person and a different player. I have a different kind of confidence now and a different mentality,” Stauskas once said.

If there are three steps Harden would pick to iterate for the world in simple words, it could be — control what can be controlled, stop being afraid of being afraid, and practice self-acceptance.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.