What happened to Nick Rolovich? Former WSU coach's Covid-19 vaccine firing lawsuit dismissed by judge

Nick Rolovich's claims of wrongful termination by Washington State University have failed. On May 30, federal judge Thomas O. Rice dismissed Rolovich's discrimination lawsuit against the university.

Rolovich, who had been fired in 2021 for refusing to be vaccinated in accordance with the state's mandate at the time, had claimed that his religious beliefs had led to his decision and that the school erred by dismissing him.

In his ruling, Rice said:

"This Court and many others around the country have consistently found COVID-19 vaccine mandates for state employees are facially neutral and generally applicable, and terminating an employee for failing to comply with a vaccine mandate is a permissible employment action."

Rolovich's lawsuit named WSU athletic director Pat Chun and Washington Governor Jay Inslee as defendants. While Chun and Inslee have been exonerated, other aspects of the lawsuit are still ongoing.

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Nick Rolovich Coaching Career - Stats and Records

After a middling playing career where he won an arena football title as a quarterback, Nick Rolovich first joined the coaching ranks at San Marin High School in California, where he was an assistant. He then moved to his alma mater of Hawaii as a student assistant and served two years, after which he became the quarterback's coach at the City College of San Francisco, his junior college.

He returned to Hawaii in 2008, once again assuming the position of quarterbacks coach. After two years, he was also named offensive coordinator before being fired at the behest of Norm Chow.

Rolovich took his OC talents to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where he served for four years. Halfway through that tenure, Temple attempted to lure him away, only for the Runnin' Rebels to increase his salary by twice what it originally was.

He eventually returned to Hawaii in 2016 as head coach, immediately granting them bowl eligibility despite a losing record (they would win the Hawaii Bowl). Then in 2019, he led the Rainbow Warriors to the conference title game, but they lost to Boise State 10-31. He was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year.

Some of the players Rolovich has coached include Joel Bitonio, a multiple-time Pro Bowl center for the Cleveland Browns, and wide receiver/special teamer Marcus Kemp, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs.