Ex-Bucknell Coach Charged With Felony Hazing in Player Death
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- Mark Kulbis, Bucknell's former strength and conditioning coach, surrendered to authorities Monday and was charged with felony aggravated hazing along with misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing; bail was set at $10,000 with a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 28.
- Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr., an 18-year-old offensive lineman, collapsed during his first practice on July 10, 2024, and died two days later; an autopsy attributed his death to exertional rhabdomyolysis brought on by intense exercise, his body weight, and sickle cell trait.
- Investigators alleged Kulbis put players through 100 up-downs and multiple full-body plank exercises despite other coaches warning him the drills were inappropriate and unsafe, and that Kulbis was the only coach present and didn't call for help until Dickey lost consciousness.
- Attorney General Dave Sunday said Kulbis had been informed of Dickey's sickle cell trait and received training on NCAA and state anti-hazing rules but "disregarded that information," calling the death "preventable" and an "intentional, deliberate hazing."
- Pennsylvania's felony hazing statute under which Kulbis was charged was enacted after the 2017 hazing death of Penn State student Tim Piazza, a detail Sunday cited to underscore the case's seriousness.
- Kulbis left his position at Bucknell in January 2025, and Dickey's parents have a separate ongoing wrongful-death lawsuit against the university alleging it cleared their son to participate despite knowing about his sickle cell trait.
Why it matters: The felony charge invokes a Pennsylvania hazing statute passed after the 2017 Tim Piazza death, and prosecutors say Kulbis had specific notice of Dickey's sickle cell trait — a condition the NCAA has linked to conditioning-session deaths — yet still ran the contested workout alone with the player. A conviction would carry meaningful prison time and could strengthen the Dickey family's pending civil case against Bucknell by reinforcing a narrative of institutional awareness followed by disregard.
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