Washington State coach Nick Rolovich was terminated for cause Monday for a refusing to become vaccinated against the coronavirus, with the school announcing his firing.
Defensive coordinator Jack Dickert was named interim head coach.
“This is a disheartening day for our football program,” Washington State athletic director Pat Chun said in a statement. “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.”
Rolovich, 42, had filed a request for a religious exemption to the mandate that all employees in the state become vaccinated by Oct. 19, but his request — reviewed anonymously — was denied.
Rolovich was the only major college head coach known to refuse to become vaccinated, and Washington State University president Kirk Schulz, a career scientist, had been supportive of Gov. Jay Inslee’s mandate issued months ago.
Several of Rolovich’s assistant coaches were also unvaccinated and were also expected to be terminated. The Cougars, 4-3 this season, were 5-6 during Rolovich’s 1 1/2 seasons as Washington State’s coach.
Schulz said in a statement Monday, “While much has been made of the relatively small number of university employees who are not complying with the Governor’s mandate, we are immensely gratified that nearly 90 percent of WSU employees and 97 percent of our students are now vaccinated.
“WSU students, faculty, and staff understand the importance of getting vaccinated and wearing masks so that we can safely return to in-person learning and activities. I am proud of all those members of our community who have set the example and taken the steps to protect not just themselves, but their fellow Cougs.”
Inslee announced last week that more than 90 percent of Washington state government workers have been verified as fully vaccinated. Rolovich was the state’s highest-paid employee at $3.2 million a year.
Washington State won its third consecutive game Saturday, a 34-31 victory over visiting Stanford. The players gave their coach a Gatorade shower in celebration, aware that it might be his final game.
OVERVIEW
OnMyWay Is The #1 Distracted Driving Mobile App In The Nation!
OnMyWay, based in Charleston, SC, The Only Mobile App That Pays its Users Not to Text and Drive.
The #1 cause of death among young adults ages 16-27 is Car Accidents, with the majority related to Distracted Driving.
OnMyWay’s mission is to reverse this epidemic through positive rewards. Users get paid for every mile they do not text and drive and can refer their friends to get compensated for them as well.
The money earned can then be used for Cash Cards, Gift Cards, Travel Deals and Much, Much More….
The company also makes it a point to let users know that OnMyWay does NOT sell users data and only tracks them for purposes of providing a better experience while using the app.
The OnMyWay app is free to download and is currently available on both the App Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android @ OnMyWay; Drive Safe, Get Paid.
Download App Now – https://r.onmyway.com
Sponsors and advertisers can contact the company directly through their website @ www.onmyway.com.
OnMyWay is the Only Texting and Driving Solution That Pays
Trusted and 
By Millions of OnMyWay Mobile App Users