Tyler Plantz is no longer employed as the high school football coach at Providence Catholic in New Lenox, Illinois. He was fired after a 4-0 start to the season.
As things currently stand, the sudden and unexpected ouster does not make any sense.
One of the top high school football programs in the state will move forward with an interim head coach. The administration has yet to explain the decision or reveal who led the push for Plantz’s removal.
Why was Tyler Plantz fired at Providence Catholic?
Tyler Plantz and his family are synonymous with Providence Catholic High School football. The former two-way standout returned to his alma mater as head coach in 2022 to honor his late brother, Zac Plantz— whose name is on the locker room after a large donation from the family.
Tyler left a college job to return to his former high school. His tenure as head coach was an overwhelming success.
The Celtics went 31-19 over the last four seasons and reached the state championship game in 2022 and 2025. They are currently ranked as the No. 1 team in their division and No. 7 overall in the state. They won each of their first four games in 2026 by a combined score of 125-52. All four of those games were coached by Plantz.
And then he was suddenly fired on Sunday without any warning for seemingly no reason in the middle of an undefeated season.
Plantz revealed the reason for his ouster at the beginning of the week. He claims Providence Catholic let him go for reasons that were beyond his control, and offered him the chance to resign. That was never going to happen. The school chose to fire him.
The 34-year-old made his first public appearance since his ouster on Wednesday night. Plantz detailed his family’s deep ties to the school and explained why he took the job in the first place. He did it for his brother. Beyond the weight room, the Celtics wear a picture of Zac on their helmets because of how much he means to the program.
Plantz also addressed the sudden removal from his own perspective. The lack of formal explanation fuels rumors that are not true. At no point did he receive a warning from the school about any behavioral concerns. He does not have any regrets.
Plant was excited about what he has built over the last five years and does not understand why he was let go. And that seems to be the general consensus within the community, which raises even more questions about the puzzling decision.
Which high school football coaches were involved?
I don’t know whether Providence Catholic was prepared for the media backlash to its surprising coaching decision. I have not seen one single person — outside of the administration that chose to fire Tyler Plantz — who supports the change.
However, the school president supposedly “decided to move in a new direction in consultation with other staff members.” Who? Was there a behind-the-scenes mutiny that has not been publicized? Which coaches agreed with the decision to fire Plantz?
It was not current Celtics running backs coach Alex Pell. He released the following statement in support of his former head coach:
“At a loss for words. It’s incredibly difficult watching what I believe is an injustice happen to someone I respect so much. Grateful for everything Tyler Plantz has done for me, our players, and this program.”
Lucas Proudfoot also spoke in favor of Plantz. The former starting quarterback at Providence Catholic does not think the change was a good idea.
“He changed the culture the day he walked into the building, all for the better. Now that he’s not there, you’ll see what happens. It’s going to go straight downhill like it was before he got there.”
Proudfoot and Pell are not alone in their thoughts. An online petition that calls for the school to address Plantz’ unjust dismissal has received more than 2,500 signatures.
“Together, we can demonstrate to the administration that the alumni stand firmly behind Coach Plantz and advocate for a process that aligns with the values of integrity and excellence that Providence Catholic is known for. Sign the petition now to show your support and help us restore faith in our institution’s decision-making processes.”
Providence Catholic has not responded to the petition. Nor has it provided a tangible reason for the ouster. We are all waiting for an answer. Who led this charge to fire Tyler Plantz as the high school football coach and why?