The coronavirus pandemic is not waning in the United States, with thousands getting infected with the novel virus every single day.Several effective vaccines are free and widely available in virtually every corner of the country, but a large segment of the public remains hesitant to take them, despite pleas from public health officials and lawmakers alike.Vaccine hesitancy is now spilling out in sports. Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich was fired this week for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.Read more below.Nick Rolovich FiredAs CBS Sports reported, Washington State University announced Monday evening that Rolovich has been fired.Defensive tackles coach Ricky Logo, assistant head coach John Richardson, co-offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann, and offensive line coach Mark Weber have also been fired, so defensive coordinator Jake Dickert will now serve as the team's interim coach.Rolovich sought a religious exemption from both Washington state and university's vaccine mandates -- which require all employees to be vaccinated against coronavirus by October 18 -- but evidently was not granted one.'Disheartening'Pat Chun, the athletic director of Washington State University, described the events surrounding Rolovich's departure as "disheartening," but said that students' health comes first."This is 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. 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."Rolovich RespondsRolovich released a statement through a lawyer, indicating that he intends to fight the university's "unjust and unlawful" decision in court."It is a tragic and damning commentary on our culture, and more specifically, on Chun, that Coach Rolovich has been derided, demonized, and ultimately fired from his job, merely for being devout in his Catholic faith," he said.Days before his firing, Rolovich reiterated that he does not want to get vaccinated."I don't think this is in my hands. I've been settled for a long time on it, and I believe it's going to work out the right way," he stated at the time.DivisionsAs The New York Times reported, Rolovich's refusal to take the vaccine has generated discord at Washington State University."It certainly skews the perception of our message," the university's president Kirk Schultz said."At most universities, people pay attention to what the university president, the football coach, the basketball coach and the athletic director have to say -- that’s just the reality. People look at them for leadership because they’re highly visible and highly compensated. It doesn’t help when you have people who are contrary to the direction we’re going," he added.
The coronavirus pandemic is not waning in the United States, with thousands getting infected with the novel virus every single day.Several effective vaccines are free and widely available in virtually every corner of the country, but a large segment of the public remains hesitant to take them, despite pleas from public health officials and lawmakers alike.Vaccine hesitancy is now spilling out in sports. Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich was fired this week for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.Read more below.Nick Rolovich FiredAs CBS Sports reported, Washington State University announced Monday evening that Rolovich has been fired.Defensive tackles coach Ricky Logo, assistant head coach John Richardson, co-offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann, and offensive line coach Mark Weber have also been fired, so defensive coordinator Jake Dickert will now serve as the team's interim coach.Rolovich sought a religious exemption from both Washington state and university's vaccine mandates -- which require all employees to be vaccinated against coronavirus by October 18 -- but evidently was not granted one.'Disheartening'Pat Chun, the athletic director of Washington State University, described the events surrounding Rolovich's departure as "disheartening," but said that students' health comes first."This is 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. 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."Rolovich RespondsRolovich released a statement through a lawyer, indicating that he intends to fight the university's "unjust and unlawful" decision in court."It is a tragic and damning commentary on our culture, and more specifically, on Chun, that Coach Rolovich has been derided, demonized, and ultimately fired from his job, merely for being devout in his Catholic faith," he said.Days before his firing, Rolovich reiterated that he does not want to get vaccinated."I don't think this is in my hands. I've been settled for a long time on it, and I believe it's going to work out the right way," he stated at the time.DivisionsAs The New York Times reported, Rolovich's refusal to take the vaccine has generated discord at Washington State University."It certainly skews the perception of our message," the university's president Kirk Schultz said."At most universities, people pay attention to what the university president, the football coach, the basketball coach and the athletic director have to say -- that’s just the reality. People look at them for leadership because they’re highly visible and highly compensated. It doesn’t help when you have people who are contrary to the direction we’re going," he added.
