ASU athletic director speaks on Matthew Mayich investigation, hockey team’s next steps

Arizona State University athletic director Graham Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday that the school is being deliberate and hoping to collect as much information as possible about the events that put ASU hockey player Matthew Mayich on life support after a grueling practice on Aug. 20.

ASU head coach Greg Powers was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday, more than a month after Mayich collapsed during an outdoor workout.

“It’s a heartbreaking situation. It’s been complicated, it’s been awful every step of the way — obviously most awful for Matthew and his family,” Rossini told Burns & Gambo. “We’ve got several bits of this going on. We’ve got the review that the university has been doing, we’ve got an investigation that our police department has been conducting and continuing, and we’ve also got the season approaching.

“We’ve been trying to learn as much as we can, collect as much feedback, piece the facts together as best we can … the feedback from the guys is that they want to play. They’ve been very consistent in communicating that. They want to play this season, they want to start this weekend at Lindenwood, they want to play for each other, they want to play and represent ASU, and most importantly, they want to play for Matthew. The decision for coach to step aside right now is based on getting them ready to play. They want to play, they want to move forward.”

ASU announced assistant coach Mike Corbett will run the team as the season begins this upcoming weekend, and an interim head coach will be named in the near future. Rossini said he hopes that is decided by next week, after the Sun Devils open on the road at Lindenwood on Friday.

“We want to start to limit the distractions around the program so they can focus on hockey and they can focus on being together,” Rossini added.

Here are questions asked of the AD and Rossini’s full quotes regarding the hockey program in his visit with Burns & Gambo on Thursday:

How seriously did you take this letter (to ASU president Michael Crow from seven ASU hockey players) and did it have any effect on the decision you made with Coach Powers? And can it have any effect on any future decisions that you will make?

“Since the very beginning, we’ve been eager to collect feedback and information every way that it’s available. However, people have chosen to share information about their experience as part of the workout or situation surrounding the moment, we’ve been very interested in that information. I’ve been in front of the team several times communicating that.

“The most important thing in this process, the most important thing for Matthew is information. We’ve really encouraged anybody within the program to communicate that when they’ve been requested to or however they choose to share it. It’s been a deliberate process. We’ve been very careful to collect as much as we can and not just make a decision based on what we know, but to complete the facts and complete the information along the way. There’s been a lot to learn throughout the process. Again, we’ve valued feedback every way that it’s found its way through this process.”

Will the Mayich family get the answers? Will future decisions impact anyone else except Powers?

“We want the answers. We want to get as much clarity as we’re going to find in this process. Again, it’s an awful situation to be navigating. Through this process, we’re going to collect this information, we’re going to learn through these moments, and we’re going to apply it. That’s the opportunity that we’re focused on, as well as understanding and getting clarity on the situation. We want to apply this.

“We want to apply this to ASU athletes and certainly the hope to make sure this never happens again … but to athletes at all levels, but to people in the Valley, who work in these conditions, to people throughout the environment in terms of learning about heat-related (health issues). Yes, we want to share the information when it’s complete. … That’s what the review will lead us to.”

When will ASU fill its interim head coach position after Mike Corbett leads them at Lindenwood this weekend?

“That process is going to continue and again … There’s been a lot of interest in ASU, and I think that reflects well on what hockey has meant to this university, the level of program that’s been built here at ASU and the fact that people view this as an exciting opportunity. As the news came out yesterday that Coach Powers is going on leave, we’ve had a ton of people well-respected in the sport reach out with interest.

“That’s been helpful to understand that people see this opportunity even in an interim moment that they want to step in, they want to provide stability and leadership for the program. We’re working very quickly to make that determination and have an interim head coach in place when the team gets back next week. With respect to this weekend … (Corbett) has head-coaching experience, he has a steady presence about him. The focus right now is, let’s get through the weekend.”

I want to get your reaction to the Mayich family lawyers who say protocols for how to get to the workout and how to treat heat exhaustion were not followed by the university. Do you agree with that or where are you at with that?

“That’s part of what we’re collecting. That’s part of what a review and investigation is going to really provide clarity for all of us in. Our hope, and I would hope the family would share this: We use all this information. We use everything we learn to apply it. To our environment, to the environment throughout the Valley, to the environment throughout similar conditions to where there are positive lessons learned as a result of what we continue to learn and find throughout our process.”

Have there been any conversations with former Coyotes captain Shane Doan about taking over the program?

“I have not talked to Shane. Got a great relationship with him. He’s been a friend, he’s very important to hockey in the Valley and obviously he has a family connection to our program with Josh (Doan) playing so well here and now in the NHL. We’ve got a ton of exciting options in people well-respected in the sport with coaching experience or great ties to the sport who are under consideration for this role. Excited to get through that process and see who we can get here this week.”

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