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Navy fires assistant football coach after vaccine exemption denied
Published:
Navy has parted ways with offensive assistant Billy Ray Stutzmann.
Navy assistant coach Billy Ray Stutzmann fired after failing to receive exemption for COVID-19 vaccinehttps://t.co/K53tTpp2uB
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) September 13, 2021
The third-year assistant posted on Twitter that he has been relieved of his duties for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine, which is required of all Navy athletics coaches and staff. In his statement, Stutzman wrote that his “religious convictions” prevented him from following Naval Academy COVID-19 policies. He had previously applied for a religious exemption and alternative working arrangements, but he was ultimately let go.
“I continue to stand firm in my conviction of faith, but I understand and respect that each individual and institution has a choice on how they wish to manage these issues,” Stutzmann wrote. “I wish Navy Football nothing but the best in the future.
— Billy Ray Stutzmann (@BRayStutzmann) September 13, 2021
Stutzmann joined the Navy coaching staff in 2019 after serving as an offensive intern with Hawaii. He received a strong recommendation from Va‘a Niumatalolo, whose father is Navy’s head coach. Ken Niumatalolo was a former UH quarterback and assistant coach.
Scott Schultz covers Michigan State Football, along with Breaking News for B1G Football & Basketball for Saturday Tradition. He also serves as an Automotive News Editor & Writer, and Softball Writer elsewhere on the web. Follow him on Twitter @SRSchultz.