Washington State Football

Former Washington State football head coach Nick Rolovich has filed a claim against his ex-employer for $25 million, citing wrongful termination, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.

The university fired Rolovich "for cause" last October after he refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

All Washington state employees were mandated to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18 of last year. Rolovich did not comply with the vaccine mandate; he applied for a religious exemption, but that was denied.

Rolovich has not officially filed a lawsuit yet, but that seems to be a formality. Jude provided more information:

"A $25 million tort claim was filed on Rolovich’s behalf with the state’s Office of Risk Management on April 27. A tort claim is a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit against a state agency, said Brionna Aho, spokesperson for the Office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

"After a tort claim is filed, there is a 60-day period before a claimant can file a lawsuit. As of Tuesday, Rolovich has not filed a lawsuit against the university, Aho said."

Brian Fahling, who is representing Rolovich, released a statement after the firing announcing intentions to sue the university, citing wrongful termination, calling the move "unjust and unlawful" and claiming that he was fired for "being devout in his Catholic faith."

Just received this from an attorney representing Nick Rolovich, who plans to sue #WashingtonState for illegal termination. Accuses AD Pat Chun of “discriminatory and vindictive behavior.” pic.twitter.com/KTOnIchKXD

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) October 20, 2021

According to the Associated Press, Rolovich appealed his firing with the university last November but was denied. He was in the second season of a five-year contract paying him $3.2 million annually.

The 43-year-old Rolovich spent four years at Hawaii before leaving for Washington State in 2020. He went 5-6 in 1.5 seasons coaching the team.

Lew Nichols III rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown, leading Central Michigan to a 24-21 win over Washington State in the 2021 Sun Bowl.

The Chippewas raced out to a 21-0 first-half lead before holding on for the program's first bowl win since 2012. 

Daniel Richardson added 208 passing yards and a touchdown against an interception.

Central Michigan and Washington State came together for the Sun Bowl after both of their original bowl opponents pulled out of games with COVID-19 issues. Central Michigan was originally supposed to play Boise State in the Arizona Bowl, and Miami was Washington State's original Sun Bowl opponent.

Down by three touchdowns at halftime, Washington State battled back and had a chance to take a lead late in the fourth quarter but fell short. Victor Gabalis led the way with 180 passing yards and two touchdowns.

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Notable Stats

Washington State

QB Victor Gabalis: 12-of-23 passing, 180 yards, 2 touchdowns
RB Nakia Watson: 17 carries, 62 yards
WR Lincoln Victor: 5 receptions, 88 yards, 1 TD

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Central Michigan

QB Daniel Richardson: 17-of-33 passing, 208 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
RB Lew Nichols III: 29 carries, 137 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions, 38 yards
WR JaCorey Sullivan: 7 receptions, 83 yards 

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Lew Nichols III Gives Central Michigan Hope Moving Forward

Jim McElwain is still program-building at Central Michigan, but he appears to have a star at running back. Nichols closed the regular season with eight straight 100-yard rushing performances and will almost certainly close 2021 as the nation's leading rusher.

The Chippewas will also bring back Richardson (another freshman), along with sophomore tight end Joel Wilson and junior wideout Kalil Pimpleton.

Central Michigan has not won a conference championship since 2009, when it did so under Butch Jones, but there is enough offensive firepower here to give McElwain's team a chance to be preseason favorites heading into 2022.

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Jake Dickert Looks to Mold Program in His Image

The 2021 season was embroiled in controversy for Washington State after coach Nick Rolovich was fired for not undergoing state-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. Rolovich's departure paved the way for Dickert, who was named the Cougars' permanent coach after a win over in-state rival Washington.

Dickert was the defensive coordinator under Rolovich, so some of the staff will remain, but four assistants were also sent packing over their refusal to undergo vaccination. The 38-year-old coach will be tasked with building a staff for the first time.

Washington State went 3-3 in games coached by Dickert, including a 3-1 mark in the Pac-12. 

The Cougars were 7-6 overall, their first season above .500 since 2018, and only their fifth in the last decade. 

It didn't take Washington State long to find a new opponent for the Sun Bowl on Friday.

After Miami withdrew from the game on Sunday because of COVID-19 issues within its program, the Cougars announced Monday that they would face Central Michigan. The Chippewas were set to take on Boise State in the Arizona Bowl, but the Broncos withdrew earlier on Monday also because of COVID-19.

🤝 @CMU_Football pic.twitter.com/x7SPg7SPLX

— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) December 28, 2021

"We are grateful for the diligent work of the Sun Bowl Association, the Pac-12 Conference, the Mid-American Conference and Central Michigan University to ensure the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl will be played," Washington State athletic director Pat Chun said in a statement.

The Cougars went 7-5 this season and won three of their last four games. In its last two wins of the year, Washington State scored 40 or more points and had a scoring differential of plus-26.5.

Central Michigan has a record of 8-4 and ended the regular season on a four-game win streak. The Chippewas won six of their last seven games and scored at least 30 points in each of their last five contests.

The Sun Bowl isn't the only bowl game to be modified due to a team dealing with COVID-19 issues. Rutgers replaced Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after the Aggies were forced to withdraw.

The Arizona Bowl is now the fourth bowl game to get canceled this season. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated noted that a financial agreement was likely reached to release the Chippewas from the game and allow them to play against the Cougars. The Hawai'i Bowl, Military Bowl and Fenway Bowl also were all canceled.     

Interim head coach Jake Dickert is expected to be named Washington State's permanent head coach, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports.

Dickert was promoted to interim head coach Oct. 18 after the school fired Nick Rolovich for refusing to comply with the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Dickert previously served as the school's defensive coordinator.

Since taking over as interim head coach, Dickert has led Washington State to a 3-2 record, including a 40-13 win over Washington in the Apple Cup on Friday. It was the team's first Apple Cup win since 2012.

After the win, Dickert addressed his coaching future with Washington State, acknowledging that the next steps are "out of his hands."

"I'm humbled and honored to have this opportunity," Dickert said. "I really am, I'm truly blessed ... I know going forward that they deserve the best and that's what's going to come out of all this. I know it. Whether that's right for me, we'll find out that soon enough. I'm just excited for this moment tonight and excited for the players."

In addition to the Apple Cup win, Dickert's Cougars also defeated Arizona in convincing fashion 44-18 in their final home game of the season.

Dickert, 38, spent most of his coaching career at the FCS level. He joined Wyoming as safeties coach in 2017 and remained with the team until becoming defensive coordinator at Washington State in 2020.

Elevating Dickert to the full-time role will give Washington State more stability moving forward. The Cougars finished 7-5 this season, second in the Pac-12 North. It was their best finish since the 2018 campaign when they went 11-2. 

Mike Faulk, who is a spokesperson for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, disputed former Washington State football head coach Nick Rolovich's claims that the state's vaccine mandate specifically targeted the 42-year-old, per Greg Mason of the Spokesman-Review.

All Washington state employees were required to be fully vaccinated as of Oct. 18, 2021, to stay employed. Rolovich, who was a state employee by virtue of his position at a state university, did not comply with the vaccine mandate.

He applied for a religious exemption, did not receive one and was terminated for cause.

Rolovich has since filed a 34-page appeal letter to athletic director Pat Chun, and that includes comments from the AD in an alleged conversation involving him and the former coach last August. Rolovich contends that Chun said Inslee "'did this' just to come after Coach Rolovich and WSU."

The letter reads:

Based on the context of Mr. Chun's statement, Coach Rolovich understood 'did this' to mean that Governor Inslee was trying to force Coach Rolovich's hand with his new mandate, because he was angry that the highest paid and one of the highest profile state employees had asserted personal or religious objections to his vaccine mandate.

In regard to that remark, Faulk said the following:

It is not unusual to disallow a personal exemption as it relates to vaccines for deadly and highly transmissible viruses. For example, in K-12 a personal or philosophical exemption is not allowed (by statute) for mumps, measles, and rubella vaccines. He's just wrong.

Rolovich was the state's highest-paid employee at $3 million per year, according to the Associated Press.

That deal was supposed to run through 2025, but Rolovich will not see the balance of what he was owed after being fired for cause.

Former Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich filed an appeal Tuesday arguing against the school's decision to fire him for going against the requirement for all state employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Kyle Bonagura and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN reported athletic director Pat Chun has 10 days to review the appeal and make a decision. If he upholds the decision to fire the coach, Rolovich can issue another appeal to university president Kirk Schulz.

The coach's appeal said Chun should "reexamine [his] illegal and unconstitutional conduct" prior to a civil rights lawsuit. It also said the athletic director was not receptive to the coach's "expressed religious and scientific reasoning for refusing to receive a COVID vaccine."

Bonagura and Rittenberg reported Washington State's Human Resource Services department decided Rolovich was entitled to a religious exemption on Oct. 6. 

However, the athletic department objected to that on Oct. 13, and university spokesperson Phil Weiler explained an employee's supervisor has the right to decide whether the school will provide accommodations for a request that is approved.

The athletic department explained to Human Resource Services that Rolovich first attempted to seek a medical exemption before deciding to go down the religious path. 

Chun also argued the coach "had been vocal and consistent in his opinions and skepticisms about the COVID-19 virus and the full nature of the public health emergency. He has continuously been critical of the role of the government and communicated a multitude of baseless theories with respect to vaccination."

Rolovich's attorney, Brian Fahling, told ESPN Rolovich "never considered applying for a medical exemption and the part about him not being able to obtain medical documentation is categorically false."

Rolovich was the head coach of Hawaii from 2016 through 2019 before coming to Washington State. He was 28-27 at his alma mater and 5-6 across the past two seasons with the Cougars.

Washington State played just four games during the shortened 2020 campaign and was 4-3 this year when it decided to move on from Rolovich.           

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.

Just received this from an attorney representing Nick Rolovich, who plans to sue #WashingtonState for illegal termination. Accuses AD Pat Chun of “discriminatory and vindictive behavior.” pic.twitter.com/KTOnIchKXD

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) October 20, 2021

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.

Washington State announced it has fired head football coach Nick Rolovich with cause for not complying with the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which went into effect Monday.

Four staffers have been dismissed as well for not complying with the mandate.

"This is a disheartening day for our football program," athletic director Pat Chun said. "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."

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation requiring most state employees to be vaccinated.

Rolovich announced July 21 he had yet to receive the vaccine and kept the reasons behind his decision private.

pic.twitter.com/WW1qNACPBc

— Nick Rolovich (@NickRolovich) July 21, 2021

Speaking with reporters in August, the 42-year-old said he'd follow Washington's mandate but didn't specify whether that meant he'd get vaccinated.

Former Hawaii head coach June Jones, for whom Rolovich was an assistant, told USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer that Rolovich was seeking a religious exemption from the mandate.

With the deadline looming, he remained unsure as to whether he'd continue to lead the Cougars through this week.

"I'm gonna come to work tomorrow," he told reporters. "... I don't think this is in my hands. So I've been settled for a long time on it, and I just believe it's going to work out the right way."

Washington State beat Stanford on Saturday to improve to 4-3. Rolovich's players appeared to sense his tenure could be coming to an end since they gave him a Gatorade bath on the sidelines immediately after the game.

Defensive coordinator Jake Dickert will replace Rolovich on an interim basis. His first game in charge will come Saturday at home to BYU.

Washington State will presumably wait until the season concludes before launching a full coaching search.

The program has enjoyed success under Mike Price and Mike Leach, but the years preceding and following their tenures illustrate how difficult it can be to maintain a winner in Pullman.

The Cougars are often overshadowed by in-state rival Washington, and they haven't claimed a conference championship since 2002. In addition, despite making some investments to keep up in the FBS arms race, the $3 million annual salary WSU paid Rolovich was good for 51st in the country and 10th-highest in the Pac-12.

Finding the right replacement for Rolovich will be a tall order for Chun.

Washington State head football coach Nick Rolovich has applied for a religious exemption from the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

June Jones, Rolovich's mentor and former coach at the University of Hawai'i, told USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer that Rolovich applied for the exemption despite Jones urging him to get vaccinated:

He and I have had six or seven conversations over the last 60 days, and my advice is for him to take the shot. There's too much at stake to risk losing his job, and it's an unfortunate situation. It may be against what he believes obviously, but there are more people at stake – the university's credibility, the lives of the assistant coaches and their families. There's a whole bunch more at stake than just him, and that's exactly what I told him.

Rolovich is at risk of potentially losing his job with the Cougars if he isn't vaccinated soon.

Per the mandate from Washington's government implemented last month, state employees, including those in educational settings, are required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18.

Jones said that Rolovich's exemption hasn't been decided on yet, but it's in the Washington State coach's best interest to "take one for the team."

Rolovich's final day to comply with the mandate was Oct. 4, since the vaccine requires a two-week period for maximum efficacy. The 42-year-old didn't take part in person in the Pac-12's media day in July because of the conference's vaccine requirement.

pic.twitter.com/WW1qNACPBc

— Nick Rolovich (@NickRolovich) July 21, 2021

Rolovich is in his second season as Cougars head coach after spending the previous four years at Hawai'i. He went 1-3 in 2020 and has lost three of his first five games to start this season.