Arizona State deals another blow to Matthew Mayich’s family with latest move

Arizona State's men's hockey program was supposed to be gearing up for an exciting season opener this weekend. Instead, the Sun Devils find themselves engulfed in a deepening crisis that has now cost their head coach his place behind the bench, at least temporarily.

The university announced Wednesday that it has placed head coach Greg Powers on paid administrative leave, just two days before Arizona State is scheduled to open its 2026-27 season at Lindenwood University in Missouri.

Assistant coach Mike Corbett will take over coaching duties for the team's first two games this weekend while the school searches for an interim head coach. Corbett previously served as head coach at the University of Alabama-Huntsville from 2013 to 2020 and has been on Powers' staff for two seasons.

The decision comes after mounting pressure from multiple directions. Seven players anonymously sent a letter through attorney Tim Casey to university president Michael Crow, asking that Powers and his entire coaching staff be removed pending further investigation into an Aug. 20 workout that left sophomore Matthew Mayich hospitalized and on life support.

Mayich, 21, remains non-responsive due to exertional heat stroke that caused oxygen deprivation to his brain, according to family attorney Rob Carey. He is not expected to recover.

The day before the university acted, Mayich's parents John and Christina issued a pointed statement calling for the coaching staff's removal. "The coaches who ran that workout on August 20 need to be removed while an independent investigation gets to the truth," the family wrote. "The players shouldn't have to worry about retaliation from the people they report to every day."

However, the university's decision to retain Corbett and the rest of Powers' assistants, including longtime top assistant Alex Hicks, stands in contrast to what both the Mayich family and the anonymous players requested. Corbett was reportedly present on the field during the Aug. 20 session, and players have expressed fear that remaining staff members could retaliate against those who speak out. Athletic director Graham Rossini framed the move as one aimed at stability.

The Aug. 20 workout has been described by multiple people as a harsh, military-style session led by former Green Beret Tim Ziesel, who is not employed by the university. Players allege the session lasted more than 75 minutes, not the 45 minutes described in an initial university review. They also claim no cold-water immersion tub or ice was available on the field, contrary to the school's own heat policy.

The players' letter further alleged that Powers downplayed Mayich's condition, telling the team his teammate had suffered "just a little heat stroke" and needed only an IV. According to the letter, Powers told the squad after the ambulance departed that they were "closer to making the Frozen Four because of the workout."

The National College Hockey Conference expressed support for the decision, stating that "the well-being of our student-athletes matters more" than hockey.

The matter remains under investigation by the ASU Police Department, while the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has indicated it will review the findings once that probe is complete.

On Friday, the Sun Devils will take the ice at Lindenwood under Corbett's guidance, but the questions surrounding this program are far from resolved.