Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich and four of his assistant coaches were reportedly fired Monday for refusing to comply with the state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The news of Rolovich’s firing came early Monday.
Nick Rolovich has been terminated by Washington State, per a university source.
Terminated for cause, along with the other unvaccinated WSU assistants.
— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) October 18, 2021
It was later noted four of his assistants were also fired over the issue.
Breaking News: Washington State University is said to have fired its football coach, Nick Rolovich, and four of his assistants for failing to comply with the state’s vaccine mandate. https://t.co/DZhDCnlRAs
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 19, 2021
The story has quickly become one of the biggest headlines in college football. Rolovich, only in his second season, had made it clear he would not receive a coronavirus vaccination. However, it was unclear how the university would proceed in response.
The mandate was part of a deadline by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in August that required full vaccination by all state employees by Oct. 18.
Employees could apply for a medical or religious exemption, though testing was not an option.
Now Washington will be forced to address the loss of Rolovich, who was reportedly the highest-paid state employee in 2020, with a salary package of more than $3.1 million according to King5 TV.
