WSU Cougars: Nick Rolovich leaves not with a bang but a whimper
Decision day has arrived, and Nick Rolovich is no more an employee of WSU. I’ll miss his befuddled responses at his pressers and his odd clock management. The question now is, what’s next for Wazzu?
After weeks of drama, the Nick Rolovich watch has mercifully come to an end. Washington State decided to terminate Rolovich (with cause), along with several coaches, for refusing to follow the state vaccine mandate. As the saga reaches its conclusion, it’s time for the Washington State Cougars to look ahead.
For now, defensive coordinator Jake Dickert will take over as interim head coach. He’s a well-regarded defensive coach from his time at both Washington State and Wyoming. For all their ups and downs this season, WSU is one of the Pac-12’s top teams in takeaways. It will probably take a few days to sort out the rest of the staff as more of the changes become public.
What have they lost?
Rolovich, for all the hand-wringing over his status, has been a .500 at best head coach at Hawaii and Washington State. He’s already shown a propensity to make poor decisions on and off the field. Additionally, Rolovich clearly wore out his welcome with the athletic department.
It was nice to see his players support him through this ordeal. But If the Cougars hadn’t pulled off their last-minute win against Stanford on Saturday, fans would have been demanding his termination.
While their former coach weighs his options, the WSU brain trust will begin considering theirs. You’ll hear Ed Orgeron’s name bandied about, and I get why. He’s been successful at a high level for a while.
I have a feeling that after the Pirate and Rolovich that WSU may not want to deal with the Orgeron baggage. If they bring him in, I insist they give him a weekly show where he talks about his dating exploits. It would be must-hear radio.
Who Should The Next Coach Be?
I’m sure Athletic Director Pat Chun will say Dickert has a shot, and if they run the table, he actually might. That said, Dickert may be too far on the other side of the personality spectrum. He checks in somewhere between vanilla and bland.
The name I’d like to hear is Graham Harrell. USC’s offensive coordinator has some Wazzu and Mike Leach in his background. He’d run an offense that will bring in solid recruits, and he’s got Power 5 experience at the coordinator level.
It will be an interesting few weeks in Pullman, and we’re all curious to see what happens.
Related Story: Takeaways from victory over Stanford
What do you think about Nick Rolovich’s termination? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.