From Chicago Sun-Times · · 2m
Providence fires an undefeated coach
A top-five Illinois team was rolling at 5-0 when Providence Catholic let its head coach go, and nobody is saying why.
In brief
A top-five Illinois team was rolling at 5-0 when Providence Catholic let its head coach go, and nobody is saying why. When a school fires a winning coach mid-season, the reason is almost never the record, and the statement will not tell you what it is. Originally reported by Chicago Sun-Times.
Fired in September
Providence Catholic removed head football coach Tyler Plantz in the middle of the 2026 season, confirmed in a Sunday statement to the Sun-Times.
This almost never happens
High schools fire football coaches in the offseason, after the last game, with time to hire. Cutting one loose in September breaks the pattern.
“It is extremely unusual for a high school to fire a football coach during the season.”
The statement says nothing
Athletic director Doug Ternick called it a transition in leadership and a new direction, thanked Plantz for his service, and gave no reason at all.
“Providence Catholic High School is announcing a transition in the leadership of its football program as we move in a new direction.”
The team was winning
The Celtics, a Catholic League program in New Lenox, sat at No. 5 in the Super 25 and were undefeated when the move came down.
He nearly won it all
Plantz coached Providence to the Class 5A state title game last season, and to the Class 4A final in 2022. He finished 35-19 with the Celtics.
A Providence kid
Plantz graduated from Providence in 2010 and came back to run the program in 2022. This was his school before it was his job.
Walk-on to scholarship
He joined Notre Dame as a walk-on, worked his way onto special teams, and earned a scholarship for his senior year before graduating in 2014.
He coached under Kelly
Before the Providence job, Plantz was on Brian Kelly's staff at Notre Dame, a pedigree few high school programs get to hire.
Nissen takes over
Providence handed the team to Coach Nissen, who the school says already knows the players and the staff, pitching him as continuity rather than a reset.
“Our focus is on providing our players with stability and support as they continue through the season.”
The new guy has a record
Nissen ran St. Laurence for six seasons, going 35-28 and reaching the Class 4A state title game in 2023. He arrives with a finalist on his resume.
Plantz stays silent
He did not respond to a request for comment, leaving the school's carefully worded statement as the only account of why a 5-0 coach is gone.
In short
When a school fires a winning coach mid-season, the reason is almost never the record, and the statement will not tell you what it is.
