When college athletes suffer fatalities due to activities conducted during practice—and often pre-existing conditions—coaches are almost never criminally charged. But thanks to a new lawsuit brought by Pennsylvania’s attorney general, that could change.
On Monday, Pennsylvania AG Dave Sunday charged former Bucknell football strength and conditioning coach Mark Kulbis following the death of Bucknell football player CJ Dickey Jr. in 2024 following a summer workout where he collapsed. Kulbis, who maintains his innocence, faces felony aggravated hazing, as well as misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing.
The fact that the charges are criminal makes the case rare, multiple industry experts and attorneys tell Front Office Sports. Regardless of its outcome, the case could have wide-ranging effects on the college coaching landscape, forcing more scrutiny of practice activities and coaching conduct.
“We’re seeing the tide shift in terms of general public awareness about hazing,” Elizabeth Allan, principal of StopHazing and director of the Hazing Prevention Research Lab at the University of Maine, told FOS. “I feel this is potentially an indication of some larger shifts in the culture.”
