Arizona State University's head hockey coach avoided questions from reporters across the country about a near-fatal workout on the first official day of practice that left one of his players on life support.
Greg Powers, in his first public question-and-answer session since the Aug. 20 collapse of defender Matthew Mayich, would not say whether he or anyone else should be held accountable for the decisions before, during and after the workout.
His appearance at a news conference came a day after the university released a preliminary report showing hockey coaches failed to follow the university's heat guidelines and policies for vetting an ex-Green Beret guest trainer involved in the near-fatal outdoor workout.
Powers appeared uncomfortable, pursing
his lips throughout the 30-minute session at National Collegiate Hockey Conference media day. He tried to steer the conversation away from Mayich to the team's preparation for its first game on Oct. 2.
"The guys just have been so, so close and so tight-knit. You can feel how close they’ve grown, how quickly they’ve grown this close," Powers said. "It’s been good to see them support each other in the manner in which they have.”
But even as Powers declined to talk about Mayich, he repeatedly dropped the defenseman's name as a motivator for the team, saying the tragedy has brought players together.
"The guys are focused on playing for Matthew and they’ve done a great job with it,” he said.
Powers appeared alongside ASU forward Ben Muthersbaugh, who acknowledged the emotional wallop that Mayich's hospitalization has dealt the team. He said some players have gone to the hospital and talked to his family.
“It’s a super tough time right now and obviously, at the forefront of our mind is Matthew and his family,” Muthersbaugh said. “It’s tough to get ready for a season when this wrench was thrown in pretty early.”
ASU initial report doesn't identify why guidelines weren't followed
Mayich collapsed during the first session of a planned three-day workout led by an ex-Green Beret guest trainer, who was brought in by Powers to train the team.
Tempe Fire Medical Rescue crews responded at 8:30 a.m. to ASU's Joe Selleh Track for calls of a heat-related illness. Mayich was rushed to a hospital and later transferred to Barrow Neurological Institute. His family has maintained a daily prayer vigil that has drawn hundreds of people from all over the world.
Mayich's condition has not changed in more than a month and he has no chance of recovery, according to family lawyer Robert Carey.
ASU Senior Vice President James Rund, who is leading an administrative review of the workout, outlined preliminary findings in a Sept. 22 report. 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.
But Rund's investigative summary and four-page timeline do not identify anyone responsible for the failures or outline accountability measures.
Carey called the summary a "whitewash" and said the university is trying to avoid responsibility for catastrophic failures. Carey said the report illustrates why ASU cannot be trusted to investigate itself. He reiterated calls for an independent law enforcement agency to take over the investigation.
An ongoing investigation by The Arizona Republic has found multiple potential policy violations connected to the workout and Mayich's collapse. The school did not appear to follow its own rules designed to protect students from exertional heat illness before, during and after the workout.
Emergency guidelines for treating heat illness call for immediate immersion in ice water, but the university found Mayich was left lying on the ground as staff draped him in wet towels.
The Republic also found the volunteer trainer did not go through the required vetting process or sign standard forms before starting drills on the first day of the 2026 semester. Ex-Green Beret Tim Ziesel was allowed to lead the workout based on a handshake agreement with Powers and other staff members, Ziesel's attorney said.
Mayich, a sophomore from Stoney Creek, Ontario, was in his first year at ASU. He was part of a 2026 transfer portal class that ranked first in the country. He appeared in 34 games, tallying seven goals and eight assists, in his freshman season at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.
He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League in 2023. Drafted players retain their college status while NHL teams hold their exclusive signing rights.
ASU hockey coach: 'I believe that I am the right guy' to lead team
Powers would not talk about any changes in workouts since Aug. 20 and seemed to distance himself from those decisions.
"I don't run workouts — our strength and conditioning coach does," he said. "And our guys are here every day and are working hard and preparing their minds, bodies and each other for the season ahead."
Powers defended himself as the right person to continue leading the D1 program that he has been instrumental in building for 20 years.
"I believe that I am the right guy,” he said, adding that the team remains strong and healthy. "Everything that is great about coming here to play hockey still is."
Powers wouldn't discuss whether he has considered stepping down or if there was any discussion about letting someone else step in to lead the team.
"I would say those conversations are a private matter at this time," he said.
Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X @robertanglen.
Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X at @ReyCJrAZ.
Jenna Ortiz is a sports reporter for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU hockey coach avoids questions on player collapsing after workout
