Jayden de Laura: ‘This is a very difficult time for us all on the team’

In the wake of Nick Rolovich’s dismissal as the head coach of the Washington State Cougars, several players took to social media to express their love for their now former head coach. Starting quarterback Jayden de Laura also took to Twitter, issuing a statement with a level of maturity well beyond his years, saying in part, “this is a very difficult time for us all on the team” and “(Rolovich) put his trust in me and allowed me to grow as a man both on and off the field. For that reason, we strongly disagree with today’s decision.”

It doesn’t come as a surprise that the players would be upset with Rolovich’s departure. They clearly cared very deeply for him as evidenced by the Gatorade bath he got following Saturday’s win over the Stanford Cardinal. Their displeasure is fairly understandable: this decision is not related to football results at all; it’s only related to legalities.

But de Laura’s statement seems to indicate the team is as ready as they can be on Monday night to move forward and try to make this a successful season, a sentiment shared by one of his most prolific pass catchers. That a majority of the coaching staff is able to stay on campus is important for the unity of the team and to try and keep them pointed in the right direction.

Because, as de Laura notes, the program is bigger than any one person.