Washington State fired its college football coach Nick Rolovich and four of his assistants for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which is mandatory in Washington state.
Rolovich had a contract until 2025 and earned more than $ 3 million annually.
The vaccination order was issued by the Democratic governor of the state, Jay Inslee, who set a deadline that expired on Monday. Rolovich asked to be exempted for religious reasons, but the request was rejected Monday, Washington State athletic director Pat Chun said.
Defense coordinator Jake Dickert will take over as interim manager.
“This is a sad day for Washington State,” Chun told a news conference. “Nobody wanted to come to this.”
“Those who lose the most are our students / athletes,” he added, highlighting that a team had never been without its coach and so many assistants in the middle of the season.
Rolovich was wearing a mask during games.
He was fired for cause, so the university will not have to honor his contract.
The technician has not said what Rolovich’s religious beliefs are.
The commission that analyzed his exemption request did not know who it came from. To be exempt, a person must demonstrate the sincerity of their beliefs.
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