Washington State coach Rolovich fired for refusing vaccine

Washington State fired shot manager Nick Rolovich and 4 of his assistants connected Monday for refusing a authorities mandate that each employees get vaccinated against COVID-19, making him the archetypal large assemblage manager to suffer his occupation implicit vaccination status.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, had acceptable a deadline of Monday for thousands of authorities employees, including the Cougars’ coach, to beryllium vaccinated against the coronavirus. Rolovich applied for a spiritual exemption.

Defensive coordinator Jake Dickert volition beryllium elevated to acting manager and his archetypal crippled successful complaint volition beryllium Saturday astatine location against BYU, the schoolhouse said precocious Monday.

“This is simply a disheartening time for our shot program,” diversion manager Pat Chun said successful a statement. “Our precedence has been and volition proceed to beryllium the wellness and well-being of the young men connected our team.”

Rolovich was not instantly disposable for comment.

The 42-year-old Rolovich was the highest-paid authorities worker with an yearly wage of much than $3 cardinal successful a declaration that runs done 2025. He had said helium wouldn’t get vaccinated but wouldn’t specify his reasons. He was the lone unvaccinated caput manager successful the Pac-12 and had worn a disguise during games.

Also fired for refusing vaccination were adjunct coaches Ricky Logo, John Richardson, Craig Stutzmann and Mark Weber, the assemblage said.

Around the country, galore assemblage shot coaches person publically advocated for vaccination, including Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Alabama’s Nick Saban. Mississippi manager Lane Kiffin said not getting vaccinated would beryllium irresponsible and bragged astir his squad being 100% vaccinated.

Many coaches person talked astir their teams’ precocious vaccination rates, though schools are not nether immoderate work to stock those numbers.

Unlike past season, erstwhile COVID-19 cases swept done large assemblage football, postponing and canceling games weekly, nary games person needed to beryllium rescheduled due to the fact that of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Rolovich was hired from Hawaii 2 years ago, aft Mike Leach near for Mississippi State, and led Washington State to a 1-3 grounds successful the Pac-12 successful a 2020 play chopped abbreviated due to the fact that of the pandemic. Washington State has won its past 3 games and is 4-3 this season, including a 34-31 triumph implicit Stanford past Saturday. He finishes with a 5-6 grounds astatine the Pullman field successful southeastern Washington.

Rolovich revealed successful July that helium would not get vaccinated and couldn’t be Pac-12 media time successful idiosyncratic due to the fact that of it.

He said successful mid-August that helium intended to travel the caller mandate requiring vaccinations for each authorities worker but repeatedly declined to accidental how.

After refusing for weeks to uncover his plans, Rolovich connected Oct. 9 confirmed helium was seeking a spiritual exemption to the mandate. He has not specified his spiritual beliefs.

Rolovich needed to beryllium a sincerely held spiritual content that prevented him from getting vaccinated successful his exemption application. The exertion was enactment earlier a committee that reviewed the requests without knowing names of the applicants.

To proceed coaching, Rolovich needed to person the spiritual exemption and besides to person Chun find that Rolovich could bash his occupation portion keeping the nationalist safe. In summation to his enactment arsenic a coach, Rolovich oversaw a younker shot programme and participated successful promotional and fundraising events.

Rolovich was fired for cause, which means the assemblage does not person to grant the remainder of his contract, though lawsuits implicit the determination are likely. The Washington State diversion section is presently facing a shortfall of much than $30 million.

Dickert is successful his 2nd play arsenic Washington State’s antiaircraft coordinator and came to Pullman aft 3 seasons astatine Wyoming. He has not antecedently been a caput coach.

Washington State President Kirk Schulz said astir 90% of WSU employees and 97% of students had been vaccinated.

The vaccine contented has percolated each season, dividing Washington State fans and providing a continual distraction.

Players stood up for their manager arsenic the play progressed. Quarterback Jayden de Laura told a sideline newsman aft Saturday’s win: “Stop hating connected Rolo. We emotion him.”

Wide receiver Travell Harris commended Rolovich aft the crippled for being a “players’ coach.”

“He’s a manager we each emotion to play for,” Harris said.