Ex-coach charged in freshman player's death at Bucknell University

A former Bucknell University strength and conditioning coach, Mark Kulbis, has been charged with aggravated hazing following the death of freshman football player Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr. during a 2024 practice. Pennsylvania's attorney general announced the charges, which also include misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.

Investigators allege that Kulbis subjected Dickey and other players to intense drills, including 100 "up-downs" and full-body plank exercises, on the first day of freshman practice. This occurred despite warnings from other coaches about the safety of such exercises. Dickey, who had Sickle Cell trait, was visibly struggling, but Kulbis reportedly delayed seeking help until the player collapsed.

Dickey was hospitalized and passed away two days later, on July 12, 2024. An autopsy determined that his death resulted from a combination of the strenuous exercises, his Sickle Cell trait, body weight, and exertional rhabdomyolysis. Authorities stated that Kulbis proceeded with the demanding workouts despite knowing about Dickey's medical condition and having received university training on Sickle Cell trait and hazing protocols.

The felony aggravated hazing charge against Kulbis was enacted in Pennsylvania following the 2017 hazing death of Penn State University student Tim Piazza. Attorney General Dave Sunday emphasized the criminal nature of hazing, noting its potential to humiliate, dehumanize, and, in the worst cases, lead to fatalities and profound devastation for families and friends.

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This law exists because it recognizes what hazing is: criminal conduct that, in the best possible scenario, humiliates and dehumanizes an individual, and at its worst, takes lives and leaves families and friends forever devastated.