Arizona State puts hockey coach on leave after player collapses

Arizona State University has placed hockey coach Greg Powers on administrative leave after player Matthew Mayich collapsed during an outdoor team workout and was hospitalized with severe heatstroke. Mayich, 21, remains on life support and is unlikely to recover, according to his family’s attorney, Rob Carey.

The decision, announced Wednesday, follows calls from Mayich’s parents and seven teammates to place the coaches involved on leave and commission an independent investigation. The players have challenged the university’s account of the Aug. 20 workout and say they fear retaliation for speaking out.

“Our focus continues to be on Matthew and his family, and on our student-athletes to make sure they have the support they need during this time and as the season begins,” athletic director Graham Rossini said in a statement. He said the school had continued to gather information and, after “thorough and careful deliberation,” concluded that putting Powers on leave was the best way to provide stability for the program.

Assistant coach Mike Corbett will lead the team for its season opener this weekend, and the university will name an interim head coach soon, according to ASU’s statement.

Carey welcomed Powers’ leave as a step in the right direction but said the entire coaching staff should be removed while an outside investigator examines what happened. Another assistant coach remains in place, he told NBC Nightly News, and players could still face retaliation.

“They did nothing right, literally nothing,” Carey said of the coaching staff’s actions during the workout. He described Mayich as incapacitated and said there was “almost no chance of recovery,” but added that the family wanted to give him “a chance for a miracle.” The Guardian reported that, according to Carey, Mayich’s heatstroke reduced the flow of oxygen to his brain.

In a 26-page letter to ASU President Michael Crow, the seven players described a session led by former Green Beret Tim Ziesel. The Guardian reported that Ziesel did not have a contract with the university. The players alleged that no cold-water tub was on site, that a training plan had not been submitted to all coaches and that Mayich missed a water break because players were pushed into the next task before everyone reached the water.

The players also said Mayich had been in Arizona for only eight days and in the hockey program for five. They alleged Powers later called his condition “just a little heat stroke.” They asked that their names be withheld, saying coaches control their playing time, scholarships and roster status.

ASU’s report said temperatures during the workout ranged from 86 to 89 degrees, with relative humidity between 51% and 46%. It said an athletic trainer evaluated Mayich, applied cool water and iced towels, called 911 and directed players to move him into the shade. The players contend the university’s weather figures understated conditions on the field; National Weather Service data cited by NBC News put the afternoon high at 104 degrees.

ASU did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on the family’s allegations and demand for an independent investigation. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference said it supported Powers’ leave while the circumstances of Mayich’s injury are examined.