A monumental figure in the growth of Banana Slug athletics, former UC Santa Cruz coach and administrator Greg Harshaw has passed away.

Harshaw, 66, passed away earlier this summer after a brief illness. He served as the UC Santa Cruz Athletic Director from 2001 to 2005. During his tenure in charge of the Division III department, the Cross Country and Women's Golf teams were added. Harshaw served on the NCAA Division III Management Council from 2003-2005, and ran the department during arguably the Banana Slugs' most successful year ever in 2004-05, when the men's soccer team was NCAA runner-up and men's tennis hosted the NCAA Championships, where they won their fifth national title.

He also served as UC Santa Cruz's interim basketball coach for the 2002-03 season.
"He was so supportive, and really taught me how to coach and run a program," said longtime golf head coach Paulette Pera, who Harshaw hired to start the golf program and the two remained close. "He wrote a letter to my team this past season, where he told them 'even though this time of COVID-19 has been extremely difficult on you, it will not last forever, and you have each other.' "

"Greg was a tremendous mentor," added men's soccer coach Michael Runeare. "His leadership was instrumental in helping me make the transition in 2002 from our men's soccer assistant coach position to the women's soccer Head Coach position. His trust in my coaching ability and his willingness to talk with me about challenges as the women's coach helped establish the foundation needed to lead our women's program to three consecutive NCAA postseason appearances, culminating with a undefeated season in 2006." 

Harshaw left Santa Cruz in 2005 to help find the athletic department at the University of the Bahamas. Originally a native of Springfield, Ohio, Harshaw played Division III Basketball at Oberlin College in his home state. Harshaw joined UC Santa Cruz after a stint as the AD/basketball coach at Dominican University and Director of Video Operations for the Oakland Athletics Baseball Club during their run to three-consecutive World Series between 1988-1990.

https://goslugs.com/news/2022/8/1/uc-santa-cruz-mourns-the-passing-of-former-athletic-director-harshaw.aspx