Washington State College’s head soccer coach has been fired after refusing to get vaccinated in opposition to Covid-19, the college mentioned Monday.
The termination of Nick Rolovich, whose wage of $3.1 million made him the highest-paid public employee in Washington, got here as a state Covid vaccine mandate was set to enter impact requiring well being care employees, public workers and others to get innoculated.
“It is a disheartening day for our soccer program,” the college’s director of athletics, Pat Chun, mentioned in an announcement. “Our precedence has been and can proceed to be the well being and well-being of the younger males on our staff.”
4 assistant coaches had been additionally fired for non-compliance with the state mandate, the college mentioned in an announcement. The staff’s defensive coordinator, Jake Dickert, will substitute Rolovich as appearing head coach.
The college’s president, Kirk Schulz, famous that whereas a minority of vaccine resisters have gotten outsize consideration, 90 p.c of college workers and 97 p.c of scholars have been vaccinated.
“I’m pleased with all these members of our group who’ve set the instance,” he mentioned.
Rolovich, who was in his second season at Washington State and had led the staff to 4-3 file thus far this 12 months, had utilized for an exemption however was denied, Chun advised reporters Monday. Rolovich was fired for trigger, Chun mentioned, including that the mandate made him now not eligible to work on the faculty.
Rolovich couldn’t instantly be reached for remark, however earlier than the Pac-12 convention earlier this 12 months — which required in-person individuals be inoculated — he mentioned he was skipping the vaccine for “causes which is able to stay personal.”
“Whereas I’ve made my very own resolution, I respect that each particular person — together with coaches, workers and student-athletes — could make his or her personal resolution relating to the Covid-19 vaccine. I can’t remark additional on my resolution.”
Rolovich, who was named Mountain West Convention coach of the 12 months in 2019, was employed in January 2020.
“We believed we discovered the proper match,” Chun mentioned. “To be at this juncture in the present day is unacceptable on so many ranges.”
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