Arizona State University and hockey coach Greg Powers have agreed to part ways nearly two months after sophomore Matthew Mayich collapsed during a workout and was placed on life support. ASU has hired Dave Hakstol, a former Colorado Avalanche assistant, as head coach, while an independent investigation overseen by former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Scott Bales continues. Teammates have alleged that Mayich had no water breaks, showed distress, and lacked access to required emergency equipment, but those claims have not been established as findings. Mayich’s family wants a full inquiry, digital evidence collected, and findings made public. No investigation deadline, fee, or new compliance rule is specified. The review remains the next step in determining what happened.
TLDR: ASU has hired Dave Hakstol and reached an agreement for Greg Powers to leave the hockey program after Matthew Mayich’s collapse. An independent investigation continues, with disputed accounts of the workout still awaiting findings and no public deadline specified.
Arizona State University has reached a mutual agreement to part ways with hockey coach Greg Powers, nearly two months after player Matthew Mayich collapsed during a workout and was placed on life support. The school has hired Dave Hakstol, a former assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche, as head coach. The change is confirmed. The circumstances surrounding Mayich’s collapse remain under investigation.
ASU has not stated a specific reason for Powers’s departure beyond calling it a mutual agreement. The university said it was grateful for his work establishing the hockey program at the Division I level and for his service over nearly two decades. Mayich’s family has said its focus is on understanding what happened and preventing a similar incident. That stated aim is common sense, but the investigation has yet to establish what occurred or who, if anyone, was responsible.
Mayich, a 21-year-old sophomore, collapsed during an outdoor workout on Aug. 20. Robert Carey, an attorney for the family, said Mayich suffered heat stroke and was placed on life support. Carey also said Mayich was unlikely to recover, according to local television reporting cited in the account. Those details come from the family’s attorney; the investigation’s findings have not been reported.
Powers was placed on paid administrative leave late last month. That followed demands from Mayich’s parents and several teammates that the staff responsible for the workout be removed while an investigation was conducted. ASU’s announcement now confirms that Powers and the university have agreed to part ways. It does not say that the agreement resolves questions about the workout or determines responsibility.
Seven teammates made allegations about the session in an anonymous letter. They said the university’s description of the workout was inaccurate, that Mayich had not received water breaks, and that he showed signs of distress before collapsing during the final exercise. They also alleged that required emergency equipment, including cold-water immersion tubs, was not on the field. These are claims by the players, not findings from the independent investigation.
The workout was described by the students as “grueling” and “military-style.” They said an outside consultant named Tim Ziesel ran it. In a statement released by his attorney, Ziesel disputed the label, saying that a military-style workout meant calisthenics performed to a cadence. The different accounts underscore why a review of the event matters: the details of the session, its supervision, and the emergency preparations have not yet been settled publicly.
ASU has asked Scott Bales, a former chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, to oversee an independent investigation into the circumstances of the collapse, according to local reporting. The investigation is the stated process for examining the incident, separate from the coaching change. Powers said when he was placed on leave that he intended to cooperate fully. His departure does not, by itself, establish what happened or answer the family’s questions.
Mayich’s family has urged the investigation to continue with its full scope. In its statement, the family called for the collection of digital evidence, review of everyone involved in the workout and its approval, and public release of the findings. It also said Powers’s departure should not limit cooperation and that players who spoke up should be protected. These are the family’s requests; the report does not specify whether each will be adopted or when findings will be made public.
The practical effects confirmed so far are limited. Powers had been on paid administrative leave, and ASU has now announced his departure and hired Hakstol. The account provides no investigation fee, new form or reporting requirement, compliance rule, or deadline. It also does not describe any new workout standards or identify which staff members may face further action. For players and staff, the immediate change is the new head coach; the broader consequences depend on the investigation’s work.
The school’s announcement recognizes Powers’s long service while making a coaching transition. That is an institutional decision, not a final judgment on the collapse. The family has questioned whether a negotiated departure amounts to accountability, and the claims about water breaks, signs of distress, and missing equipment remain allegations awaiting findings. Keeping those categories distinct is necessary for a credible account of what is known and what remains open.
The next necessary step is continued oversight by Bales and completion of the independent review. The family has asked for a full inquiry and public findings, while Powers has said he will cooperate. No timeline for the investigation or publication of its conclusions appears in the available account. The review must establish the facts before any further conclusions are drawn; the experts have this handled.
Ethan Blake serves as a Senior Correspondent for Just Right News, where he specializes in Longform Narrative and Public Understanding. In an era of rapid-fire headlines and fleeting soundbites, Ethan’s work stands as a testament to the power of deep-dive reporting and the importance of contextualizing the complex issues facing the nation today. His approach is rooted in the belief that the most profound truths are often found in the lived experiences of individuals rather than the abstract theories of distant policymakers.
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