Washington State quarterback takes strong stance against university's decision

Washington State quarterback Jayden de Laura expressed his displeasure with the university’s decision to fire Nick Rolovich on Monday. Rolovich had until Monday to get vaccinated against COVID-19 but refused, putting him in violation of the state’s mandate.

De Laura posted a statement on his own Twitter but it was written for his teammates as well.

“Words cannot express our profound sadness and disappointment in the termination of our coach, Nick Rolovich,” de Laura wrote. “Playing for him was a great honor that all of us will cherish forever. He put trust in me and allowed me to grow as a man both on and off the field. For that reason, we strongly disagree with today’s decision.”

After his rebuke of the program’s move to remove Nick Rolovich, the quarterback moved on to rallying the troops for the rest of the season. Wazzu is 4-3, two wins away from bowl eligibility, with a big game versus BYU on Saturday.

“But we also understand that Cougar Football has always been bigger than any one person,” de Laura continued. “We are a band of brothers who play and sacrifice for each other, no matter who the head coach is.

“This is a very difficult time for all of us on the team. Change is always hard. What we need now, more than ever, is the loud and passionate support the Cougar faithful can bring to Martin Stadium. So let’s pack the house on Saturday, and show this entire nation the special bond that we all have as WSU Cougars.”

Through seven weeks, de Laura put up 1,476 yards passing in Rolovich’s offense with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Wazzu parts ways with Rolovich

Washington State fired its second-year head coach Nick Rolovich on Monday. He finishes his time in Pullman with a 5-6 overall record and 4-3 in the Pac-12. The Cougars have also fired the unvaccinated assistant coaches on his staff.

Rolovich had previously applied for a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The drama of when or if he would receive a vaccination started in the summer and has carried out throughout the fall. He was the only coach not to attend Pac-12 media days this summer, instead joining on a Zoom call to fulfill his media duties.

Following Saturday’s 34-31 win over Stanford, Washington State players dumped a bucket of Gatorade over Rolovich. The win marked their third straight win, but also the last game Rolovich will coach for the Cougars.

“I’m gonna come to work tomorrow. … I don’t think this is in my hands,” Rolovich said following the win over the Cardinal. “So I’ve been settled for a long time on it, and I just believe it’s going to work out the right way.”

Rolovich, 42, previously served as the head coach at Hawaii, where he had a 28-27 overall record in four years at the helm. He went 2-1 in bowl games and earned 2019 Mountain West Coach of the Year. NFL and college assistants have lost their jobs over vaccinations, but this has proven to be the true case study in college athletics.

With roughly $9 million remaining on his contract, Washington State is unlikely to pay him any of the remaining salary.

On3’s Pete Nakos contributed to this report.