Former Washington State coach Nick Rolovich suing over firing, COVID mandate

Former Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich is taking his former employer to court, claiming he and four assistant coaches were illegally released for not complying with the school's and state's COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

According to multiple outlets, Rolovich sought a religious exemption from meeting WSU's vaccine mandate. The school will not confirm nor deny Rolovich's ask for exemption because he is "a devout Catholic," only that he and four assistants didn't meet Washington state's requirement for staff to have at least one vaccination shot by Monday.

Rolovich's attorney, Brian Fahling, has alleged WSU athletic director Pat Chun fired Rolovich out of spite and was planning the firing as far back as April of this year.

"Chun's animus towards Coach Rolovich's sincerely held religious beliefs, and Chun's dishonesty at the expense of Coach Rolovich during the past year, is damning and will be thoroughly detailed in litigation," Fahling said in a statement, via ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.