# 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.
- Title: Providence fires an undefeated coach · Chicago Sun-Times
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: high school football, illinois, coaching change, providence catholic, catholic league, news, local, Providence, fires, undefeated, coach, Chicago Sun-Times
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/high-school-football/2026/09/13/providence-fires-football-coach-tyler-plantz
- Published: 2026-09-13T20:15:27.643+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: high school football, illinois, coaching change, providence catholic, catholic league, news, local
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.