Providence Catholic decided to move on from head coach Tyler Plantz in the middle of an undefeated high school football season. He claims he was offered the chance to resign but chose not do so, so he was fired.
It is a shocking move for a program that is ranked Top-10 in the state.
This unexpected high school football coaching change goes much deeper than wins and losses. Plantz also played for the Celtics.
Tyler Plantz refused to resign.
As a native of New Lenox, Illinois, Tyler Plantz played high school football at Providence Catholic from 2006-2010. He was a beloved figure within the program at both linebacker and running back. The Celtics went 35-25 during his four seasons. They finished as the runners-up in Class 6A during his senior year at 12-2.
Plantz received the opportunity to walk-on at Notre Dame in 2011 and played all four years for the Fighting Irish. The school presented him with a scholarship as a senior.
Although Plantz did not see a lot of game action in college, his teammates looked to him as a leader. That trend continued when he graduated and joined the coaching staff under Brian Kelly. He served a coaching assistant, strength and conditioning coach, offensive line assistant, senior special teams and offensive analyst, and assistant director of football operations at various points from 2015-2021. Notre Dame was really good to him.
Tyler’s middle brother, Zac Plantz, died in a car accident on Thanksgiving in 2020. The Fighting Irish ran a play in his honor during its next game. The university also lit up its iconic No. 1 sign at Grace Hall because of the fundraising efforts in his name.
Needless to say, the Plantz family meant a lot to Notre Dame and Notre Dame means a lot to the Plantz family. The same goes for Providence Catholic High School.
The Zac Plantz foundation awards an annual scholarship to an incoming high school freshman each year. It also gave a large donation to the high school in his name.
All of this goes to say that the Plantz family is deeply ingrained in the Providence Catholic football program.
And then head football coach Mark Coglianese decided to retire after 17 seasons in 2021. Tyler Plantz played for Coglianese. Coglianese called Plantz with the opportunity to succeed him in the role. He saw it as his calling to honor his brother and accepted.
Providence Catholic officially hired Tyler Plantz as its new head football coach for the 2022 season. The Celtics reached the state championship game in Plantz’s first year. They returned to the state championship game in 2025.
Why did Providence Catholic fire its high school football coach?
Providence Catholic began the 2026 high school football season with four-straight wins. The Celtics are ranked No. 1 in Class 5A and No. 7 in the state of Illinois at 4-0. They are legitimate title contenders. They have a real chance to go undefeated.
However, the school announced a change of leadership on Sunday. Tyler Plantz was fired as head coach without any warning right in the middle of the season. He claims he has not received a formal notice of termination. He is just as shocked as everybody else.
According to Plantz, Providence Catholic High School president Father John Merkelis sent him a text on Friday, Sept. 11 with instruction to meet him in his office at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The latter asked the former to resign during their meeting.
Plantz was completely blindsided. Father Merkelis gave him the following explanation:
“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. 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.”
According to Plantz, Father Merkelis “clearly stated these factors were his only concern” and gave him the opportunity to resign from his full-time position as head coach. Plantz responded to the concerns but Father Merkelis explained that “in consultation with other staff members, he had decided to move in a new direction.”
They met again on Sunday morning. Plantz refused to resign. His decision to leave college football for the head coaching job at Providence Catholic was personal. He would never quit on his players.
The school announced his ouster on Sunday afternoon. Plantz was never formally informed of the decision.
As of Monday morning, September 14, I have not received any formal notice of the decision to terminate my role at Providence Catholic. Nonetheless, the school announced my firing on Sunday afternoon, September 13.
I am confounded by this decision and how it has been handled. I remain proud of my contributions to Providence Catholic Celtics’ success since I was named head coach. This season, we are 4-0 and ranked Top 5 in Illinois and #1 in Class 5A. The last time the Celtics won in the IHSA finals was 2014.
During the last four seasons, the Celtics competed in the IHSA semifinals for three years and in the finals for two of them. This year, our team already qualified for the playoffs. I am very proud that during the last three years, a total of 24 Celtic alumni made a commitment to play college football.
For me, it’s all about the kids. My ministry is to coach football as a way to help young men become the best version of themselves. I thank my athletes for all they have given me—their hard work and dedication to me, our football program and my brother’s legacy.
— Tyler Plantz
As of this writing, Providence Catholic has not provided the reasons for the change of leadership. Offensive coordinator Adam Nissen was named as the interim head coach.