The story

Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Illinois, has fired head football coach Tyler Plantz in the middle of the season, despite the team's 4-0 start. The Celtics are ranked No. 1 in Class 5A and No. 5 in the Super 25 rankings. Offensive coordinator Adam Nissen has been named interim head coach. The school called the move a transition in leadership and thanked Plantz for his service since 2022 but did not cite any specific incident or allegations.

Plantz, a Providence graduate who played at Notre Dame, told CBS News Chicago that a school official asked him to resign and listed reasons including practice structures and game scheduling. When he refused, the school fired him. Plantz was 35-19 in five years as head coach and led Providence to Class 5A runner-up finishes in 2022 and last season. He said the decision was a blindside and described it as influenced by outside voices, but he remains grateful to the school.

Plantz left a coaching position at Notre Dame to return to Providence Catholic after his brother, Zak, died in a car crash in 2020. His family donated money for a weight room named the Zak Plantz Performance Center. Plantz said his primary concern remains the players and that his mission in coaching is to serve kids. Alumni and parents expressed surprise at the decision given the team's success.