After a three-year absence, Nick Rolovich has returned to varsity soccer teaching.
Rolovich, previously the top coach at Hawaii and Washington State, is becoming a member of Justin Wilcox’s employees at Cal as a senior offensive assistant. As an offensive coordinator and head coach, Rolovich favored run-and-shoot and unfold offenses, typically run out of the pistol formation.
The soccer program officially announced Rolovich’s hiring on Friday.
Rolovich and 4 of his assistant coaches were fired by Washington State in 2021 for refusing to adjust to Washington’s mandate for state workers to take the COVID-19 vaccine. He mentioned the vaccine mandate violated his non secular beliefs.
He sued the college, then-athletic director Patrick Chun and Gov. Jay Inslee for wrongful termination, in search of $25 million in damages.
In August, a federal judge in Spokane ruled that Rolovich couldn’t sue Chun or Inslee, however allowed the lawsuit towards WSU to face. The case was scheduled to go to trial in December. Nevertheless, the choose struck the trial date from the calendar when either side requested for a ruling with out a trial, Spokane’s KXLY-TV reported. A listening to continues to be to be held.
Altogether, Rolovich coached 11 video games at WSU between 2020-21, ending with a 5-6 report. In 4 seasons at Hawaii, he compiled a 28-27 report with three Hawaii Bowl appearances. He coached Hawaii to the Mountain West Convention championship sport in 2019.
Jake Dickert took over for Rolovich as interim head coach and was hired for the position completely following the 2021 season.
Since being dismissed by WSU, Rolovich coached as a volunteer at San Marin Excessive College in Novato, California, and was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL earlier than the team was shuttered in a merger with the USFL. He reportedly talked with Rice about its head coach opening however by no means interviewed for the job, according to On3.
Rolovich, a Bay Space native, is the second former FBS head coach to affix Wilcox’s employees at Cal. Earlier this week, former Auburn and Boise State coach Bryan Harsin was hired because the Bears’ offensive coordinator. Harsin has spent the previous two seasons out of faculty soccer.
