Nick Rolovich to Take Legal Action Against WSU After Firing over COVID-19 Vaccine

Former Washington State football head coach Nick Rolovich will pursue legal action against the school following his dismissal.

The university announced Monday that Rolovich and four of his assistants were fired because they failed to follow the state of Washington's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Rolovich's attorney is arguing that his firing was "illegal" and that Washington State athletic director Pat Chun acted in a "discriminatory and vindictive" manner, per Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared that most state employees would have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 from Oct. 18.

Rolovich announced in July he "elected not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine for reasons which will remain private." He subsequently sought a religious exemption from the state mandate and acknowledged as the deadline neared that he was unsure of his future with the Cougars.

His lawyers confirmed Wednesday the 42-year-old's religious exemption was denied.

Addressing Rolovich's firing, Chun called it a "disheartening day for our football program."

"Our priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of the young men on our team," he said. "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."

Given the circumstances behind his ouster, a lawsuit from Rolovich felt inevitable. He was earning $3 million annually, and getting fired for cause eliminated a possible buyout.

Whether a lawsuit can succeed is less clear.

A group of 105 state and city employees in Washington sued to temporarily block the mandate from going into effect. However, a federal judge denied the request after determining Inslee's proclamation fell within his power.

Nathan Arnold, an attorney for the plaintiffs, indicated an appeal could be forthcoming.