Ex-Bucknell Coach Charged With Aggravated Hazing In Player's Death
On Monday, July 6, 2026, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday charged former Bucknell strength coach Mark Kulbis with felony aggravated hazing and related counts in the death of freshman Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr.[1]
Kulbis also faces misdemeanor charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, the attorney general's office said.[1] Dickey collapsed after a July 2024 first-day workout that included 100 up-downs and plank drills and died on July 12, 2024.[1] An autopsy linked the death to the workout combined with Dickey's sickle cell trait, his body weight and exertional rhabdomyolysis.[1] Authorities say Kulbis knew of Dickey's condition and had completed Bucknell training on the condition and on hazing.[1]
Following Dickey's collapse and July 12, 2024 death, the Union County district attorney referred the case to the Pennsylvania attorney general's office last year because of resource constraints. Dickey's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Bucknell, Kulbis and other officials in April 2025, alleging Kulbis had a pattern of abusive conditioning; the suit was withdrawn in September 2025. Three months after Dickey's death, another freshman lineman allegedly suffered rhabdomyolysis after a similar session. The felony aggravated hazing charge invokes Pennsylvania's Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law, enacted in 2018 after the 2017 death of Penn State student Tim Piazza.
The charges mark a rare criminal prosecution under the state's anti-hazing law and underscore ongoing concerns about dangerous conditioning in college football.
The mainstream summary does not address the broader context of nontraumatic fatalities in college football, particularly the elevated risks faced by NCAA Division I players during conditioning. A study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine indicates that these players are at a significantly higher risk of such fatalities compared to high school athletes, with screening for sickle cell trait shown to reduce deaths from exertional sickling. This crucial detail underscores the systemic issues surrounding player safety and health in college athletics, which are often overlooked in individual cases like that of Calvin Dickey Jr.[2].
Additionally, the summary does not delve into the persistence of hazing practices in college sports, despite existing anti-hazing laws like the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law enacted in Pennsylvania. Research indicates that hazing continues due to its perceived role in fostering team cohesion and a lack of oversight from athletic departments. This perspective highlights a cultural issue within college athletics that goes beyond individual accountability, suggesting that the problem is systemic and requires comprehensive reform rather than isolated legal actions against individuals.[2]
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📊 Relevant Data
NCAA Division I football players face a significantly elevated risk of nontraumatic fatalities during conditioning compared with high school players, with screening for sickle cell trait associated with reduced deaths from exertional sickling.
Nontraumatic Exertional Fatalities in Football Players, Part 1 — Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine
📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, July 6, 2026, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against former Bucknell coach Mark Kulbis.
- Kulbis is charged with felony aggravated hazing plus misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.
- Dickey collapsed after a July 2024 first-day workout involving 100 up-downs and plank drills and died July 12, 2024.
- An autopsy linked his death to the workout combined with his Sickle Cell trait, body weight and exertional rhabdomyolysis.
- Authorities say Kulbis knew of Dickey’s Sickle Cell trait and had completed Bucknell training on the condition and on hazing.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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