Nick Rolovich, coach of the Washington State University (WSU) American Football team, and four of his assistants, have had their contracts terminated after they refuse to comply with a Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
The mandate stipulates that all state employees in Washington must be fully vaccinated against the virus or they lose their jobs.
Rolovich, 42, had applied for an exemption that had been refused.
Rolovich earned USD 3.1 million a year, making him the highest-paid public employee in the state. Although, compared to many college football coaches, he was barely paid above the average.
College football is very popular in the United States, drawing capacity crowds to games. More than five million viewers watch the average match on television.
While Rolovich is the first football coach to lose his job for such an offence, many professional players have refused to get jabbed, including former New England Patriot quarterback Cam Newton. He was released by the Patriots before the 2021 season because after missing three training sessions due to his vaccination status.
Faced with the prospect of forced retirement from the sport, Newton announced earlier this week that he is now vaccinated. That will give him a chance to join another team during the current campaign.
Unvaccinated free agents have little chance of being picked up at this stage of the season.
The NFL has implemented a series of protocols, designed to make it increasingly difficult for unvaccinated players to play an active part, but there are still some high-profile dissenters.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cliff Beasley is one, wasting no opportunity to bombard his social media accounts with anti-vax views.
Another is DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals, who avoids getting the dose because his girlfriend’s brother had major heart issues after being vaccinated. He prefers to walk away from the NFL rather than compromise on the issue.
Currently, 58.1% of Americans aged 12 or older have been fully vaccinated.