Providence announced the firing of football coach Tyler Plantz on Sunday afternoon. It was a stunning move. The Celtics are undefeated, ranked No. 5 in the Super 25 and fresh off an appearance in the Class 5A state title game.
Providence AD Doug Terkin didn’t provide a solid reason for Plantz’s dismissal, only saying the football program was moving in a new direction.
Plantz has not responded to multiple requests for a comment from the Sun-Times. He released a statement on Monday to journalist Matt Fortuna.
Plantz says that Providence president Fr. John Merkelis asked him to resign on Saturday.
“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 player’s parents,” Plantz said in the statement. “He 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 says those were the only concerns indicated by Merkelis and that as of Monday morning he has not received any notice from Providence that he has been terminated.
“I am confounded by this decision and how it has been handled,” Plantz said in the statement. “I remain proud of my contributions to Providence Catholic Celtic’s success since I was named head coach.”
It is extremely rare for a high school to fire a head varsity football coach during the season.
Plantz, a former Notre Dame football player and Providence graduate, was 35-19 in his time as head coach. He graduated from Providence in 2010 and from Notre Dame in 2014. He began his career in South Bend as a walk-on but moved up to special teams and earned a scholarship for his senior year. Plantz was on Brian Kelly’s coaching staff at Notre Dame before taking the job at Providence in 2022.
Providence announced on Sunday that offensive coordinator Adam Thissen is the interim head coach for the rest of the season.
‘‘Coach Nissen is an experienced leader who knows our student-athletes, our coaching staff and our program,’’ Ternik’s statement said. ‘‘Our focus is on providing our players with stability and support as they continue through the season. We are confident in Coach Nissen’s ability to step into this role and lead our football program during this transition.’’
Nissen was recently a successful head coach at St. Laurence. He led the Vikings to the Class 4A title game in 2023 and was 35-28 in six seasons.
Statement from Tyler Plantz, who was fired as head coach by Providence Catholic HS on Sunday.
The former Notre Dame fullback says he was asked to resign, refused, and still has not received notice of his firing from PC, his alma mater: pic.twitter.com/Lihl7uq2Uy
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) September 14, 2026