Arizona State hockey coach Greg Powers just got put on paid administrative leave Wednesday, and the whole move screams one thing: the university is feeling the heat about not commissioning an independent investigation into a workout that left defenseman Matthew Mayich on life support. This isn’t just a coach getting benched for a bad play, this is serious, and it’s because calls for a real, unbiased look at what happened have been growing louder and louder.
The Collapse That Changed Everything for Matthew Mayich
This whole nightmare started back on August 20. Matthew Mayich collapsed during a training exercise, and he’s still in a Valley hospital with his family keeping vigil, fighting for his life. It’s absolutely devastating. Now, with Powers on leave, assistant coach Mike Corbett is stepping up to lead the team, which opens its season Friday at Lindenwood. Get this: Corbett was apparently one of the ASU staff members present during that August 20 workout. The university says it’ll name an interim head coach soon. Powers himself released a statement, saying he supports the university’s decision to put him on leave, believing it will allow the review to proceed “thoroughly, independently and without distraction.” But is an internal review really “independent”? That’s the million-dollar question.
Unsettling Parallels and Unlearned Lessons
What makes this even more frustrating is that we’ve seen this kind of tragedy before. Back in 2018, Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair collapsed during an outdoor football workout after struggling through 110-yard sprints. He died two weeks later from heatstroke. Maryland, after three weeks, actually did commission an independent investigation and brought in sports medicine consultant Rod Walters. His evaluation flagged concerns about acclimatization and fitness testing, and pointed out that staff failed to quickly diagnose and properly treat heatstroke. Sound familiar? They also didn’t use cold water immersion for cooling, just like with Mayich. Jordan’s father, Martin McNair, even wrote an essay in the Guardian on September 18, co-authored by a trauma surgeon, where he saw “unsettling parallels” between his son’s case and Mayich’s. He talked about distress not being recognized, heat exhaustion escalating, emergency plans not being used, and lifesaving cooling not starting fast enough. He even asked the crucial question, one you’d wish no parent ever had to ask: “Who has the authority to stop a workout when an athlete is in medical distress?” Maryland ended up settling with the McNair family for $3.5 million more than two years later, according to ESPN. It makes you wonder what ASU is waiting for.
The Fight For Real Answers Continues
So, while James Rund, ASU’s senior vice president, has led a review and put out an initial report on September 21, and ASU police are doing their own separate investigation (with findings eventually going to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office), the calls for a truly independent investigation are only getting louder. Powers is on leave, but the main issue , transparency and accountability through an unbiased, external review , still hangs over the program. How can the team even focus on their season opener Friday at Lindenwood with all this going on? It’s a gut punch, and everyone’s just hoping for answers, and most importantly, for Matthew Mayich’s recovery.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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