A former strength and conditioning coach at Bucknell University has been charged in the death of Calvin Dickey Jr., a freshman who collapsed during a July 2024 practice. The 18‑year‑old athlete, who carried the sickle‑cell trait, was found unresponsive after completing a series of intense drills and was pronounced dead two days later.
According to investigators, Mark Kulbis ordered the team to perform 100 up‑downs and full‑body plank exercises as a form of punishment on the first day of preseason. Witnesses said Dickey began to struggle midway through the routine, lost consciousness, and was later hospitalized. Kulbis was the sole coach present in the training room at the time.
Legal Proceedings and Charges
Kulbis now faces a felony count of aggravated hazing along with misdemeanor charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and hazing. A Pennsylvania court set his bail at $10,000, and Attorney General Dave Sunday has described the alleged hazing as intentional and deliberate. The coach has denied wrongdoing, but the indictment alleges that he ignored known medical risks.
The Dickey family has filed a civil lawsuit against Bucknell University, Kulbis and several school officials, arguing that the death could have been prevented if established protocols for athletes with sickle‑cell trait had been observed. Their attorney, Michael Caspino, emphasized that such athletes should be gradually introduced to high‑intensity workouts rather than subjected to punitive drills on their first day.
The NCAA requires all incoming student‑athletes to be screened for the sickle‑cell trait and recommends that coaches tailor conditioning programs to protect those with the condition. Exertional rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle tissue that can be triggered by extreme exertion, dehydration or high body temperature, was cited as a contributing factor in the autopsy report. Proper monitoring and immediate intervention are considered essential to safeguard players who carry the trait.