Arizona State Hockey Coach Placed on Leave After Player Collapses During Workout

Arizona State University has suspended its hockey coach, Greg Powers, on paid administrative leave following a player’s collapse during a workout last month. The player, Matthew Mayich, remains hospitalized. Assistant coach Mike Corbett will temporarily lead the team, and an interim coach will be named soon. The university has not specified how long Powers will remain on leave.

Matthew Mayich, a 21-year-old sophomore from Ontario, Canada, collapsed during a training session on August 20. According to Robert Carey, the family’s attorney, Mayich is “unlikely to recover.” The school reported that Mayich participated in a “wind-down” exercise featuring running with a medicine ball at an outdoor facility. Although the workout happened when the temperature was between 86 and 89 degrees, the National Weather Service recorded the day’s high temperature as over 100 degrees.

“When running, Matthew appeared to struggle, then quickly stumbled, dropped the medicine ball, and fell. He tried to get up and resume running but fell to his knees,” the report documented.

Teammates and coaches advised Mayich to remain down, while an athletic trainer attempted to cool him with iced towels and cold water. Initially responsive, his condition later worsened.

Mayich’s parents, John and Christina, had previously called for the suspension of all coaches involved in the workout. They expressed dissatisfaction with only Powers being placed on leave. “Leaving his long-time friend in charge of the locker room doesn’t resolve the issue,” they stated. They called for the interim coach to have authority to place anyone posing a risk of retaliation on leave.

Seven other players have contested the school’s account, alleging the workout was unauthorized, lasted longer than reported, lacked sufficient water breaks, and continued despite visible player distress signs. These students, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, claimed Mayich received no water breaks and was visibly distressed before collapsing. They also reported the absence of essential emergency equipment, such as cold-water immersion tubs.

The workout, orchestrated by Tim Ziesel, whom the school described as an external consultant, was criticized in the students’ letter as “grueling” and “military-style.” Ziesel refuted the term “military-style workout,” arguing that the session was akin to routine high school calisthenics. In his defense, he emphasized focusing on Mayich’s family, urging that unsubstantiated terms do not serve their interests.

The letter indicated Mayich was left in the sun for several minutes post-collapse, with only minimal cooling resources available. These included a small cooler with limited Powerade towels and inadequate water supplies.

The students requested the suspension of all staff involved in the workout pending an independent investigation’s outcome. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell confirmed an ongoing investigation by the ASU Police Department. Her office will “review this matter thoroughly” once the investigation concludes.