FBS defensive coordinator fired after woeful start to 2026 season
By Mark Kern
Published:
It’s not rare for a defensive coordinator to get fired during the college football season. However, what happened at Colorado State on Saturday is something that you don’t see every day.
Rams defensive coordinator Tyson Summers was fired after the game after being relieved of calling the plays during the game.
Summers not only left his play-calling duties but also left in the middle of the game. Head coach Jim Mora told reporters that the move wasn’t something he anticipated doing.
“Tyson was relieved of his play-calling duties; he made the decision on his own to leave the field, and he is no longer with this football program,” Mora said.
The Rams lost to Oregon State, 56-26, losing their third straight game after a 2-0 start. It was also the third straight game giving up at least 41 points, and two consecutive games of allowing at least 56.
In the loss to Oregon State, quarterback Braden Atkinson was 30-of-33 for 404 yards and five touchdowns.
Summers came back to Colorado State last year after a stint as the defensive coordinator at Western Kentucky. In the middle of last season, head coach Jay Norvell was fired, and Summers was the interim coach for the remainder of the season. Mora decided to keep him as the defensive coordinator when he took the job, but Saturday night officially ended in wild fashion.
