By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
Washington State head football coach Nick Rolovich has been fired by the school. He was fired with cause.
He had until Monday to get a vaccine, according to Washington governor Jay Inslee’s mandate in August. Fellow unvaccinated assistant coaches were also terminated.
Inslee said in August that if you work for K-12 to higher education, you had to be vaccinated. Rolovich applied for a religious exemption.
“I’m gonna come to work tomorrow. … I don’t think this is in my hands,” Rolovich said on Saturday. “So I’ve been settled for a long time on it, and I just believe it’s going to work out the right way.”
Rolovich was the Cougars head coach since 2020. He replaced Mike Leach after he left to become the Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach.
Four assistant coaches were let go. This includes defensive line coach Ricky Logo, cornerbacks coach John Richardson, quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann and offensive line coach Mark Weber.
Cougars defensive coordinator Jake Dickert will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season.
“Due to the requirements set forth in Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.1, Nick Rolovich is no longer able to fulfill the duties as the football head coach at Washington State University,” the school said. “As a result, Washington State has initiated the separation process based on the terms of their respective contracts, effective immediately.”
Rolovich was 5-6 as the Cougars head coach. He was 4-3 this season before his departure.
Before his exit, Rolovich was the highest-paid employee in the state at over $3 million.
“This is a disheartening day for our football program,” Washington State athletic director Pat Chun said in a news release. “Our priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of the young men on our team. The leadership on our football team is filled with young men of character, selflessness and resiliency, and we are confident these same attributes will help guide this program as we move forward.”
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