The head football coach for Washington State faces a pretty big decision, and his career, the season for his football team, and a whole lot of money is at stake.
Not many people know who Nick Rolovich is, and with a fairly mediocre career so far as a head coach, and the fact he is at a school tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, that’s not a surprise.
But he’s getting plenty of headlines lately, as he overshadows his team and their preparation for the season with his refusal to get the vaccine for COVID-19.
Here’s where things get complicated for Rolovich; the governor for the state of Washington, Jay Inslee, announced a vaccine mandate for every state employee.
Football coaches at state universities are indeed employed by the state, and in Rolovich’s case he’s the second highest paid employee in the entire state of Washington.
Rolovich has so far refused to get the shot. He even missed Pac 12 Media Day and had to participate via Zoom.
The governor’s deadline for all state education employees to get the vaccine is October 18. If Rolovich continues his refusal, he could be fired from his job that pays $3 million per season.
If he had a medical or religious reason to not get the vaccine, he could keep his job and work under some serious restrictions, but so far he hasn’t claimed either of those exemptions.
On Friday, a reporter named Brenna Greene who covers the Washington State Cougars talked to Rolovich, and he told her “I plan on following the state’s mandate.”
When he’ll get the shot is unknown.
A large number of players on the team are not vaccinated also.
Is it fair that Rolovich could lose millions of dollars and his job?
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