Former football coach Nick Rolovich filed a claim against Washington State for wrongful termination and is seeking $25 million, the Seattle Times reported.

The school fired Rolovich and four assistant coaches for cause last October after they failed to comply with Gov. Jay Inslee’s mandate that required all state employees in Washington to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Rolovich, who is Catholic, filed a request for a religious exemption to the mandate but was denied.

Rolovich, 43, had three years and about $9 million left on his contract at the time. The Cougars were 5-6 during his 1 1/2 seasons as the head coach.

According to the Seattle Times, a $25 million tort claim was filed on Rolovich’s behalf on April 27 with the state’s Office of Risk Management.

A tort claim is a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit against a state agency. Rolovich had not filed a suit as of Tuesday, a spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office told the newspaper.

–Field Level Media