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Arizona State University has placed its hockey coach, Greg Powers, on paid administrative leave after a player collapsed during a workout last month and remains hospitalized on life support.
ASU said assistant coach Mike Corbett will take over for now and that an interim coach would be named “soon.” The school did not say how long Powers was expected to remain on leave.
Matthew Mayich, a 21-year-old sophomore from Ontario, Canada, collapsed during a workout on Aug. 20. Robert Carey, an attorney for the Mayich family, has said he is “unlikely to recover,” according to CBS affiliate KPHO-TV.
According to a report from the school about the incident, Mayich was taking part in a “wind-down” exercise that involved running with a medicine ball at one of the school’s outdoor facilities when he collapsed. The high temperature that day was over 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, although the school said the workout took place when the temperature ranged from 86 to 89 degrees.
“When running, Matthew appeared to struggle, and then in rapid succession stumbled, dropped the medicine ball, and fell to the ground. He attempted to get up and resume running but fell to his knees,” the report said. Mayich was told to stay down by players and coaches and an athletic trainer tried to use iced towels and cold water to cool him down.
The school said Mayich was initially responsive but that his condition deteriorated.
Powers said in a statement Wednesday that he supported the decision to place him on leave, saying, “I believe this will allow the review to proceed thoroughly, independently and without distraction,” and that he intends to “cooperate fully.”
“Matthew and his family remain foremost in my thoughts and prayers,” Powers said. “What happened to Matthew has deeply affected everyone in our program, and I continue to hope for strength and healing for him and his family.”
Mayich’s parents, John and Christina, had previously called for the coaches who ran the workout to be put on leave. In a statement Wednesday, they said putting only Powers on leave isn’t enough.
“Putting Powers on leave while his best friend of the last decade stays in charge of the locker room doesn’t solve the problem,” they said in a statement. “If ASU won’t remove him, even just to err on the side of player safety, then the interim head coach it has promised should have the authority to place on leave anyone who poses a risk of retaliation against these players.”
At a news conference prior to being placed on leave, Powers told reporters, “Respectfully, I decline to answer any questions regarding August 20.”
Seven other players have disputed the school’s version of events, saying in a letter sent Tuesday to ASU’s president that the outside consultant who ran the workout was not approved in accordance with the school’s policy, the workout lasted longer than the school said, the players did not receive sufficient water breaks, and the workout “continued after some of us showed signs of distress.”
The students, who chose to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, stated that Mayich in particular was not given any water breaks and had shown signs of distress before the final exercise during which he collapsed. They also said required emergency equipment, like cold-water immersion tubs, wasn’t on the field.
The workout, which the students say was run by Tim Ziesel, a man whom the school described as “an individual who had spoken with the ASU Hockey team in the 2025-26 season about topics of leadership and teamwork,” was described in the students’ letter as “grueling” and “military-style.”
Ziesel, in a statement released by his attorney, said, “There is no such thing as a military style workout other than calisthenics done to a cadence.”
“The term ‘military style workout’ is a term that was made up out of thin air,” he said. “The actual workout would be considered easy by a high school varsity football or basketball team. I am a Navy Veteran and I was a head varsity coach for 28 years. The emphasis should be on [the] family of Matthew. They are not served by made up terms.”
The students alleged Mayich was left in the sun for several minutes after he collapsed, and “the only cooling on hand was one small cooler holding a few Powerade sideline towels … squirt bottles that put out a stream of water rather than a spray, and later, after he was moved, a garden hose with warm water.”
Tim Casey, a lawyer representing the seven unnamed players, told CBS News, “The university, in my judgment, is circling the wagons. They are not pursuing a fulsome, faithful, or transparent investigation.”
He said the players don’t feel comfortable publicly coming forward because “there’s no protection whatsoever.”
The students in their letter requested that the staff responsible for the workout be placed on leave pending the results of an independent investigation.
Powers, in his statement Wednesday, said, “I respect our players’ right to speak openly and honestly about their experiences, and I want every player to feel completely free to participate candidly in the review. I care deeply about these young men and their well-being, and I will respect whatever they choose to share through that process.”
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Tuesday on social media that the ASU Police Department is investigating the incident, and once that probe is finished, her office will “review this matter at the highest level.”
