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Longtime U-M athletics counselor Greg Harden passes away

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(WXYZ) — Greg Harden, a longtime University of Michigan athletics counselor, has passed away, the university said on Friday.

Harden had been affiliated with the university dating back to 1986 when he started working with the athletic department.

The university said he is best known as the mental coach for thousands of student-athletes.

"During his time at Michigan, Harden became known in many circles as the schools 'secret weapon' for his work behind the scenes helping Wolverine athletes achieve peak performance," the university said in a statement.

He officially retired from the university in 2019 but remained a consultant for the athletic department.

He was also featured in a 2014 episode of "60 Minutes" for his work with the university.

“My real obsession is to convince an individual that they have to determine for themselves what sort of man, what sort of woman they want to be. The goal is to make people experts on themselves," Harden said in his bio on his website.

Harden is survived by his wife, Shelia, three adult children and his sister.