Former City College Quarterback, Washington State Coach Fired for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine
By Kaiyo Funaki
Former City College standout quarterback Nick Rolovich was fired as head coach of the Washington State football team on Oct. 18 for refusing to take the the state-mandated COVID-19
vaccine.
The decision comes after Rolovich, along with four of his assistants, failed to comply with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s ultimatum for all state employees to either take the vaccine or risk losing their job.
Rolovich initially said he would take the vaccine in August but still applied for religious exemption. While Washington State athletic director Pat Chun never explicitly confirmed the denial of his application, he did reveal Rolovich’s departure at a press conference on Monday.
“The noncompliance with this requirement renders [Rolovich] ineligible to be employed at Washington State University and therefore can no longer fulfill the duties as a head coach of our football program effective immediately,” he said.
However, Rolovich plans to sue the university for illegal termination, an attorney representing Rolovich said on Wednesday.
Rolovich was a two-time All-American quarterback for City College from 1998 to 1999, leading the team to a national championship in his second year.
He was hired as the head coach of Washington State in 2020, finishing with a record of 5-6 across parts of two seasons. Prior to his time with the Cougars, he had served as the head coach at the University of Hawaii and had a two-year stint as the quarterbacks coach at City College from 2006 to 2007.