Overview
- Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday charged former Bucknell strength coach Mark Kulbis with felony aggravated hazing and misdemeanor counts including involuntary manslaughter, and Kulbis surrendered, was arraigned with $10,000 bail, and faces a July 28 preliminary hearing.
- The player, Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr., collapsed during the first day of freshman workouts on July 10, 2024 and died two days later after an autopsy attributed his death to exertional rhabdomyolysis combined with his sickle cell trait and body weight.
- Prosecutors allege Kulbis ordered 100 “up‑downs” and multiple full‑body plank drills as punishment while other coaches warned those exercises were unsafe and despite being told of Dickey’s sickle cell trait and receiving training on the condition.
- Dickey’s parents have sued Bucknell in federal court and said they welcome the criminal charges, and Kulbis’s lawyer denies he is responsible and says the program followed applicable training and standards.
- The case tests Pennsylvania’s aggravated‑hazing law, passed after the 2017 Tim Piazza death, and highlights NCAA sickle cell screening and guidance that say conditioning sessions pose the greatest risk and require gradual pacing and rest.