Nick Rolovich, the former Washington State head football coach who was fired after refusing to comply with state COVID-19 vaccine requirements, has landed a new coaching job.
Rolovich is the new offensive coordinator for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons.
The former WSU and Hawaii head coach is still currently locked in a legal battle with the school over his termination, which he says was unfair given his religious beliefs. A federal judge threw out most of that lawsuit in May, saying there were “no facts” to support Rolovich’s claim that he was terminated because of his religious views. Still, three open claims in the lawsuit against WSU remain, including wage violation, breach of contract, and religious discrimination. A federal judge set a trial date of December 9, 2024.
Rolovich will be replacing fellow former Hawaii head coach June Jones, who was the OC for Seattle last season but left the franchise this offseason. Rolovich played and coached under Jones and is said to have been recommended for the job by his former boss.
Jim Haslett is entering his second season as head coach of the Sea Dragons, who finished last season 7-3 and lost in the North Division Championship.
Rolovich went 28-27 as the head coach at Hawaii from 2016 to 2019 before leaving to replace Mike Leach at Washington State. He was 5-6 through 11 games before and four assistants were fired for not complying with the Washington vaccine mandate.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.