Philip Rivers is headed back to Raleigh, and NC State is betting big that one of the most beloved players in school history can steady a program that just went through a major reset.
The move comes nearly three weeks after Dave Doeren was abruptly fired. Doeren had slowly become the winningest coach in school history over a long run, but the people in charge decided the last 14 seasons were only slightly better than average and wanted something much bigger than a routine change.
That’s where Rivers enters the picture. State’s search appeared to lock in on him fairly early, and while there were other qualified names out there, none would hit the fan base the way Rivers does. He’s one of their own.
Rivers is the quarterback who delivered NC State’s only 11-win season. During his four years as the Wolfpack’s starter from 2000 through 2003, he led the ACC and NCAA in most major passing categories, including total yards in each of his final two seasons in the ACC.
In 2003, he threw for 4,491 yards and posted an NCAA-leading 72.0% completion percentage. That season also brought him ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year honors.
His résumé at NC State is loaded with school and conference records, and he set an NCAA mark with 51 consecutive starts at quarterback. Under the late Chuck Amato, Rivers helped the Wolfpack go 34-17 and go 3-1 in bowl games. State never had a losing season with him under center.
The school’s connection to Rivers runs deeper than the numbers. His No. 17 jersey was retired in 2003, and his name was added to Carter-Finley Stadium’s ring of honor in 2013.
Russell Wilson made a Hail Mary attempt to get into the mix, but it does not seem like he was ever truly in serious contention. Even so, the fact that NC State went through the interview process with him showed the school was willing to think outside the box.
Rivers does not bring college coaching experience, and that will be the obvious question hanging over the hire. But he does bring something else: 18 seasons in the NFL, plus a stretch of high school coaching late in his playing career. He has spent most of his life around football, and now he gets a chance to turn that knowledge into something useful at the college level.
Given how far the program fell this season, NC State clearly decided it was time to swing hard. Bringing home a favorite son like Rivers is the kind of move that says the university is ready to invest in the job, not just fill it.
That part matters, because a hire like this only works if the support behind it is real. Rivers will need resources, and he’ll likely look to put together a strong staff, including former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long.
NC State got its headline. Now comes the harder part: finding out whether Coach Rivers can win, too.
In Other News...
NC State Faces Familiar Ties With A 4-0 Start On The Line
NC State gets one more home test before leaving Raleigh, and the timing makes it feel a little bigger than a routine November tune-up. The Wolfpack are 3-0 and closing out a four-game homestand against Troy, coming off a dominant win over Presbyterian that underscored how quickly this group has settled in. The balance has been encouraging, with several players making an impact and the overall team numbers pointing to a start that has looked convincing rather than merely clean.
There is also a familiar face on the other sideline, with Troy head coach Adam Howard returning to NC State. Those kinds of connections usually add a little extra edge to an otherwise early-season matchup, especially when one team is trying to keep momentum rolling and the other is looking to spoil it. For the Wolfpack, the bigger picture is simple enough: protect home court, keep the unbeaten start intact, and head into the next stretch with a 4-0 record in hand. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Heads Into Syracuse With A Depth Chart Problem Again
NC States first availability report for its final home game against Syracuse brought another reminder of how thin the Wolfpack has become in spots as the season winds down. The list included several players already dealing with injuries from earlier in the year and more recent games, with safety Ronnie Royal III and linebacker Popo Aguirre both ruled out after colliding in the previous contest.
The quarterback room also took a hit, as backup Will Wilsons status moved backward to out, leaving the Wolfpack to sort through another week of uncertainty on the depth chart. A handful of other players landed in the questionable or probable categories, which means there is still some late-week sorting to do before NC State takes the field against Syracuse. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Faces Early Test It Needs To Pass Cleanly
The Wolfpack get an early-season checkpoint Friday night when Troy comes to the Lenovo Center for a 7 p.m. tip on ACC Network, a game that should tell a lot about how quickly NC State is settling in under game conditions. Troy arrives with a new head coach in Adam Howard, and the matchup brings a familiar mix of questions for the home side: whether the Wolfpack can control the glass, defend the arc and keep the game from turning into the kind of test that exposes sloppy habits this time of year.
NC State also has a few personnel details worth watching, including the status of Shah Hall, while the coaching backdrop adds another layer to a game that is more than a routine nonconference date. For a team trying to establish a clean early baseline, this is the kind of opponent that can make the evening feel straightforward if the Wolfpack handle the basics, or uncomfortably close if they do not. [Read more 🡒]