Ex-College Coach to Face Trial in Player's Death After Intense Workout

A Pennsylvania judge has ruled that former Bucknell University strength and conditioning coach Mark Kulbis will stand trial for felony aggravated hazing and misdemeanor charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing. The charges stem from the July 2024 death of 18-year-old freshman football player Calvin 'CJ' Dickey Jr., who collapsed during a workout.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Jaime Keating will prosecute the case. Kulbis has denied culpability through his attorney, who stated that the training program was appropriate and met applicable standards. Attorney General Dave Sunday called the ruling an important step in seeking justice for Dickey.

Dickey, who had sickle-cell trait, was reportedly instructed by Kulbis to perform 100 "up-downs" (burpees) along with plank drills. Sickle-cell trait can increase the risk of serious complications, including death, following extreme exertion, dehydration, or high body temperatures. The NCAA has required testing for the condition since 2010 and advises caution in training athletes who have it.

Dickey, standing 6ft 5in and weighing nearly 300 pounds, was a high school athlete who had decided to focus on football. His parents were unaware he had sickle-cell trait until a mandatory screening shortly before training camp. According to a federal lawsuit filed by his parents, Dickey began struggling and passed out during exercises assigned by Kulbis as punishment for other players not performing drills correctly. He was hospitalized and died two days later.

The lawsuit also accuses Bucknell of failing to have adequate Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) in place and not rehearsing them, as required by the NCAA. Bucknell has declined to comment on the pending litigation, offering condolences to the family and stating a focus on student safety.

While criminal charges against coaches in such cases are rare, similar incidents have occurred. In Georgia, a girls' basketball coach and assistant coach face murder charges in the 2019 heatstroke death of a 16-year-old player. In 2009, a former Kentucky high school football coach was acquitted of charges related to a heatstroke death of a 15-year-old player.

Calvin Dickey Sr. and his wife, Nicole Dickey, have established a foundation in their son's memory. The foundation aims to raise awareness about sickle cell trait in athletes, promote student-athlete health, provide scholarships, and host a football lineman camp named after their son's jersey number.