NC State and Baylor are staring at their next coaching hires through a very different lens than the one college football used to use. The sport’s financial arms race - fueled by the transfer portal and NIL money - has changed what matters most.
In this version of the game, the biggest question isn’t just who can coach. It’s where the money is better spent.
That’s why both schools’ recent firings matter so much. NC State moved on from Dave Doeren in his 14th season, and the buyout is said to be around $10 million.
Baylor let go of Dave Aranda, whose run included a Big 12 Championship, and he is reportedly owed $12 million. Those are the kinds of numbers that force a program to think hard about every dollar that follows.
And now both jobs have produced the kind of buzz that college football loves: celebrity candidates with deep ties to the school and very little coaching experience.
NC State is reportedly seriously considering Philip Rivers as its next head coach. Yes, that Philip Rivers - the former Wolfpack star who recently returned from retirement to play for the Indianapolis Colts last season.
Over at Baylor, the Athletic Director has met with Robert Griffin III, or RG3, about the opening. He’s the Heisman winner who captured plenty of attention in 2011 before his NFL career faded and he moved into broadcasting.
Neither man has coached a snap of college football. Rivers is the only one with any head coaching background at all, from the high school level at St.
Michael Catholic.
At first glance, both ideas look like long shots. But the logic behind them is pretty simple: these are two famous former quarterbacks who already have plenty of money, so they probably wouldn’t command massive salaries.
That would leave more resources for the roster. And because both men are beloved figures at their schools, the thinking is that their hiring could help bring more donors and NIL money into the program.
That part of the equation matters more than people used to admit. College football has become a sport where the roster can outweigh the résumé on the sideline.
Very few head coaches meaningfully lift a team far beyond what it spends, and Jake Dickert and Will Stein are cited as two of the rare examples. For most programs, the quickest path to improvement is not chasing the most established coach on the market.
It’s investing in players.
NC State’s roster is estimated at around $25 million, which puts it sixth in the ACC. Baylor’s is said to be around $20 million, good for 10th in the Big 12.
In theory, both schools could see a real jump if they were able to pour more money into the roster. A top-5 ACC roster for NC State or a $30 million Baylor roster in the Big 12 would change the conversation fast.
So if either of these splashy hires happens, the real test won’t be the name on the headset. It will be how much money the school can funnel into the roster behind him.
In Other News...
NC State Just Got The Recruiting Jolt Fans Feared After Doeren
Dave Doerens firing has already started to ripple through NC States 2027 recruiting class, and the first real sign of turbulence came quickly. Three-star offensive tackle Conner Rutherford backed out of his pledge, a notable hit because he was the fourth-highest-ranked commitment in a class that still sits at 18 verbal pledges, ranked 43rd nationally and 10th in the ACC.
For the Wolfpack, the bigger issue is what happens next. Coaching changes almost always put a class on shaky ground, and this one is no exception, with more decommitments possible as recruits reassess the situation. The speculation around who takes over, including chatter about Philip Rivers, only adds another layer of uncertainty for a class that suddenly looks far less settled than it did just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
CBS Just Gave NC State Fans A Fresh Respect Debate
Matt Norlanders annual Top 101 from CBS Sports has already handed NC State fans a fresh talking point, because the Wolfpack landed at No. 72, a spot that sits well below where several other projection systems see them. With a new coach making the roster harder to read, Norlander acknowledged the uncertainty around this group and pointed to some of the key players in the mix, but his placement still stands out next to the broader industry view.
The gap is what makes this worth watching, especially since CBSs own preseason bracketology has NC State safely in the NCAA tournament field as a 12-seed. When one outlet is projecting the Pack as a March team and another is slotting them much lower than most analytics models, it turns the early season into a built-in respect test, and it also sharpens the contrast with North Carolinas standing in the same conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Gainey Puts NC State Fans On Notice Entering 2026-27
Justin Gainey is being talked about as one of the coaches who could reshape the conversation around NC State by the 2026-27 season, and there is a reason for that optimism. He brings a background that includes stops as an assistant under Rick Barnes and Sean Miller, which gives him a broad base of experience from programs that have asked a lot of their coaches and their staffs.
At NC State, the challenge is bigger than just scheme or scouting. Gainey has to lift a program that wants clearer tournament relevance, and the early read is that his personality may matter as much as his resume in building that push. His humility, likability and clear desire to be at NC State are the kinds of traits that can help a coach connect with a fan base, especially if the on-court results start to follow. [Read more 🡒]