Tyler Plantz

Introduction

Tyler Plantz is a high school football coach and former college player whose removal from Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Illinois, in September 2026 drew immediate attention across the Chicago area. Plantz, head coach of the Celtics, was let go in the middle of an undefeated season: his team had opened the year 4-0, was ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, and had reached two state title games in recent years under his leadership. The school announced the decision without citing any specific incident or allegations, and Plantz says he was first asked to resign and refused. “It’s been a little bit shocking and surprising. It’s definitely something that never registered in my head with the kind of success we’ve had this year,” Plantz told ABC7. The episode stood out because it involved no scandal — only an unexplained mid-season split with a winning coach at his own alma mater.

Background Information

Plantz’s ties to Providence run deep. He played football at the New Lenox school and graduated from Providence in 2010, then attended the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 2014. He began his career in South Bend as a walk-on, moved up to special teams and earned a scholarship for his senior year. He later joined Brian Kelly’s coaching staff at Notre Dame before taking the head coaching job at Providence in 2022. His return was shaped by family tragedy: his brother, Zak, died in a car crash in 2020, and Plantz’s family donated money for the school’s weight room. “Named it the Zak Plantz Performance Center. When they did that, I kind of pivoted my career, where I actually left the University of Notre Dame to coach a smaller school, to kind of get myself squared away,” Plantz told CBS News Chicago. In five seasons, he compiled a 35-19 record.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

There was no scandal, no allegation of misconduct, and no incident on or off the field. Instead, the controversy centers on how and why an undefeated coach was removed. According to a statement Plantz released to the Chicago Sun-Times, he received a text message from Providence president Fr. John Merkelis on Friday, September 11, summoning him to a meeting the next morning. “During our meeting for less than an hour, Father Merkelis informed me that other staff members had told him about a few disgruntled colleagues and a few football players’ parents,” Plantz said. He said Merkelis “cited problems with disorganization related to scheduling games for lower level teams, which was not my responsibility. He also said he was not satisfied with how I managed college recruiting this year and structured lower level practices.” Plantz denied any rule violations: “There were no disciplinary issues or any actions by me that violated any IHSA rules or any rules of Providence Catholic.”

The two met again Sunday morning. Plantz said he refused to resign because his decision to leave college football for Providence “was a very personal one,” and that Merkelis explained that “in consultation with other staff members, he had decided to move in a new direction for the football team.” Plantz said he was asked to resign and pushed back. “He listed some reasons, and I explained to him that I didn’t feel comfortable doing that, and that each one of these things that he mentioned to me were fixable,” he told CBS News Chicago. When he refused to step down, the school fired him. Providence announced the move Sunday, naming offensive coordinator Adam Nissen interim coach for the rest of the season, and cited no specific incident or allegations against Plantz.

Public Reaction and Consequences

Parents, students and alumni told ABC7 the move came as a surprise in the middle of the season. Robert Cruz, a 1997 Providence graduate, said he believes dissatisfied parents can sometimes influence such decisions despite a coach’s record. The Sun-Times noted that a high school firing a varsity football coach during the season is very rare. Plantz told CBS News Chicago, “I was surprised, definitely, that it happened,” and described the decision to ABC7 as “a little bit of a blindside decision that I was not at all prepared for.” He added, “A lot of it has been outside voices is the way I understand it, and I think that’s been one of the more challenging things.” The school’s own statement was appreciative: “The Celtics thank Coach Tyler Plantz for his time and service as head coach and for his commitment to our student-athletes and football program since 2022. We are grateful for his contributions to Providence Catholic and wish him and his family all the best in the future.”

Current Status

Plantz is no longer Providence Catholic’s head coach, and Nissen is leading the Celtics for the remainder of the season. As of Monday morning, Plantz had not received any notice from Providence that he had been terminated, according to the Sun-Times, and he told ABC7 he had not yet received formal notice. He has continued to question the decision without attacking his former players. “I am confounded by this decision and how it has been handled,” he said in his statement, adding, “I remain proud of my contributions to Providence Catholic’s success since I was named head coach.” No published report indicates he has taken a new coaching position, and no misconduct allegations have been made against him.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The firing cost Plantz a full-time position at the school where he once played and which his family had supported. He acknowledged the emotional toll. “I don’t want to be a distraction. I don’t want this conversation to be a distraction. The biggest thing that broke my heart, like, obviously it’s family and everything else, but it’s … my mission in coaching is, how do I serve kids?” he told CBS News Chicago. He made clear his bond with the program survives the split. “I’m still a Celtic to my core. Did a lot of these things go ways that I didn’t want to? Without a doubt,” he said. The Zak Plantz Performance Center still bears his brother’s name on campus, and his 35-19 record and two state title-game appearances remain part of the school’s recent history. What has not changed is the central unanswered question: why an undefeated coach was removed without any public reason.