Arizona State University's head hockey coach may have replaced his cell phone after a near-fatal workout — and the family of a player left on life support is demanding to know where it is.
The phone could contain videos, photos, text messages and communication among coaching staff that ASU was legally obligated to preserve, according to an Oct. 3 letter to the university from the player's family lawyer.
Coach Greg Powers used the phone "for work purposes" while he was on the field during the Aug. 20 workout when defender Matthew Mayich collapsed from exertional heat stroke, according to the letter obtained by The Arizona Republic.
"The timing and circumstances raise serious concerns that relevant evidence has been destroyed," Phoenix lawyer Leonard
Aragon wrote in the letter to ASU General Counsel Lisa Loo. "The failure to secure the mobile device of the head coach who was present at, and reportedly arranged, the workout at issue is unacceptable."
Powers allegedly replaced the phone because of "death threats" he'd received, an unusual move since changing the number would have stopped threat calls, Aragon wrote in the letter.
"Replacing the physical device does nothing to stop threats directed to a phone number or account; it does, however, put at risk the very data that is relevant to the events of August 20, 2026," he wrote.
Questions about the data on Powers' phone comes as ASU continues to grapple with fallout and demands for accountability over the military-style workout led by an ex-Green Beret on the first day of class.
Aragon's three-page letter to Loo demanded written confirmation of who has the phone, where it is located and for a description its "chain of custody" since the workout. It asked her to confirm the device was not "wiped, factory reset, traded in, or recycled."
ASU officials did not respond to interview requests Oct. 9.
Powers, who was put on paid administrative leave Sept. 30, did not respond to messages at phone numbers belonging to him and his wife.
ASU hockey coaching shakeup continues as team opens season at home
The university for weeks left coaching staff in place while officials investigated the workout internally. ASU initiated a shakeup of the coaching staff after seven players accused the university of hiding the truth about the workout. In a Sept. 28 letter, they called on ASU President Michael Crow to put the entire hockey staff on administrative leave and turn the investigation over to an independent third party.
Powers was sidelined and then ASU athletic trainer Amanda Doyle was "reassigned to another sport." On Oct. 8, university officials confirmed assistant coach Alex Hicks was separated from the team and would not participate in its Oct. 9 home opener. All three were on the field when Mayich collapsed.
An announcement of an interim coach to take over the team is expected any day.
The seven players who were at the Aug. 20 practice said water was used as a reward and breaks were denied to teammates who couldn't keep up. They said Mayich received no water and showed signs of distress that coaches and the trainer ignored. They alleged the staff left Mayich lying on the ground while they treated him with water from a hose and wet towels.
Phoenix lawyer Tim Casey, who represents the players, said they needed to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.staff. Casey said initial reports by university administrators did not reflect "the cruelty and incompetency" of what happened.
The players said after Mayich collapsed Powers minimized his condition and claimed he would be fine. They said he described Mayich as having “just a little heat stroke” and “heat exhaustion.” He told them he had “seen this a million times” and that Mayich “just needs an IV.”
Powers told players they were closer to making the "Frozen Four" championship college hockey tournament because of the workout. He credited Mayich with pushing himself to the maximum, the players said.
ASU warned about preserving electronic information
ASU — and Powers — were first noticed on Aug. 31 to "suspend any deletion prectices," Aragon said in his letter. The university was notified two weeks later, on Sept. 15, that Powers had apparently deleted his X account.
Aragon's firm at the time demanded to know "whether Coach Powers deleted, altered, or destroyed" any other electronically stored information, including text messages, photos, and videos.
"ASU should understand that the loss or destruction of this evidence may result in serious consequences," including monetary and legal sanctions, Aragon said in the Oct. 3 letter.
Concerns over phones were also raised in a Sept. 28 letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, which asked the county's top prosecutor to ensure phones were collected before they were replaced and data was deleted.
"That concern has now been confirmed as to Coach Powers," Aragon wrote in the Oct. 3 letter.
Mitchell declined the firm's request to take over the investigation from ASU but vowed to closely follow the case, saying she is committed to a review at the "highest level."
Aragon gave the university five days to respond.
"If Coach Powers’s original device has been disposed of, we demand that ASU disclose in writing when the device was disposed of, how it was disposed of, and to whom it was given," Aragon wrote. He asked ASU to describe "all steps it has taken or will take to recover the data from the device, including through forensic examination, the wireless carrier, and any trade-in or recycling vendor."
Aragon could not be reached for comment Oct. 9. Firm partner Robert Carey confirmed university did not respond by the letter's deadline.
What The Republic's investigation of near-fatal workout has revealed
The ASU Police Department began investigating the circumstances of Mayich's collapse after getting a 911 call about a heat-related incident. Administrators also promised a separate internal review of everything surrounding the workout.
ASU Senior Vice President James Rund outlined initial findings to ASU President Michael Crow on Sept. 22. He called for a blue-ribbon advisory panel, made up of experts who would recommend how the university should conduct outdoor athletic activities and use outside consultants.
Rund's investigative summary and four-page timeline did not identify anyone responsible for the failures or outline accountability measures.
An ongoing investigation by The Arizona Republic found multiple potential policy violations connected to the workout and Mayich's collapse.
The Republic found the ex-Green Beret did not go through the required vetting process or sign standard forms before starting drills. Powers and other coaches arranged the Aug. 20 workout with guest instructor Tim Ziesel, who said he was never asked to sign a contract, an apparent violation of school policies.
The Republic also found ASU did not appear to follow its own rules designed to protect students from exertional heat illness before, during and after the workout. The university didn't follow its emergency guidelines after Mayich collapsed on the field and he hadn't gone through the standard heat acclimation period for athletes prior to the workout.
Mayich, a sophomore from Stoney Creek, Ontario, was in his first year at ASU. Like many players, he came from or had lived in cold climates and had arrived in Arizona eight days before the start of the semester. Records show he had only taken part in three days of workouts prior to his collapse. Of those, 15 minutes a day were outside, a combined total of 45 minutes
Arizona Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, and Sen. Hildy Angius, R-Bullhead City, on Sept. 28 petitioned the Arizona Board of Regents for a third-party investigation. U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, both Democrats from Arizona, echoed the need for an independent investigation on Sept. 30.
The university on Oct. 2 announced that it had hired former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Scott Bales to conduct an independent review of the workout.
Mayich remains hospitalized at Barrow Neurological Institute where his family and friends continue to hold daily prayer vigils and say they are hoping for a miracle.
Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X @robertanglen.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Family of ASU hockey player says coach ditched phone after workout | Exclusive
