CSU Fires Defensive Coordinator Tyson Summers After Sideline Exit

Colorado State fired defensive coordinator Tyson Summers following a 56-26 loss to Oregon State on Saturday in Fort Collins, hours after he left the sideline during the first half, Rams coach Jim Mora said, according to ESPN.

What happened to Summers during the game

Summers went missing from the sideline not long after kickoff, ESPN reported. Mora said afterward that he had stripped Summers of his playcalling duties in the first half but did not order him to leave the field. Assistant Kenny McClendon took over defensive playcalling for the remainder of the game.

"That is a permanent move that was made following tonight's game," Mora said, per ESPN. He added that telling Summers to leave the sideline "wasn't anything that I would ever consider," saying instead that "he made the decision on his own to leave the field, and he is no longer with the program."

A source told ESPN's Pete Thamel that Summers was not fired during the game itself, suggesting the dismissal came only after the final whistle.

Why was Summers fired

The move follows a defensive collapse that has defined Colorado State's season. The Rams have allowed 193 points over five games this year, an average of 38.6 points per game, according to ESPN. The Oregon State loss came one week after Colorado State allowed 59 points in a 59-45 defeat to UTSA. Colorado State is now 2-3 on the season.

"He made the decision on his own to leave the field, and he is no longer with the program."

Who is Tyson Summers

Summers has worked in college football for more than two decades, holding staff positions at Florida, Georgia and Colorado, among other programs, per ESPN. He joined Colorado State's staff after arriving from UConn, brought in to help reverse the Rams' fortunes under new head coach Mora. Summers also served as Colorado State's interim head coach for the final five games of last season after Jay Norvell was dismissed, a stretch that gave him unusual continuity with the program before this year's defensive struggles prompted his ouster.

What comes next for Colorado State's defense

Mora, in his first season leading the Rams, now must settle on a longer-term answer at defensive coordinator with roughly half the regular season remaining. McClendon's in-game performance as the emergency playcaller is likely to factor into whether he keeps the role or whether Mora brings in outside help.

What to watch

• Whether Mora names McClendon the permanent defensive coordinator or opens a search
• How Colorado State's defense performs without Summers over the Rams' remaining schedule
• Whether the points-allowed trend improves or worsens before Colorado State's next matchup
• Any statement from Summers responding to his dismissal

ESPN's Jake Trotter and The Associated Press contributed to the original report cited above.

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