NC State is expected to take the next formal step toward making Philip Rivers its football coach on Friday, with the Board of Trustees set to approve his contract, sources told WRAL.
The trustees are scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday in Raleigh, and the full board is due to gather Friday morning. A closed session is listed at the end of the agenda, and personnel contracts are often handled there before a final public vote.
Rivers, one of the most popular quarterbacks in Wolfpack history, met with NC State officials, including athletics director Boo Corrigan, in Alabama on Nov. 4 to talk about the opening. The school fired Dave Doeren on Oct. 24 in the middle of his 14th season.
The move would put Rivers in charge of his alma mater despite the fact that he has never coached in college or the NFL. He has been the head coach at St. Michael Catholic in Alabama since 2021.
St. Michael’s playoff run ended Friday with a 42-35 home loss, and Rivers was asked afterward about the possibility of leaving for NC State.
“I don’t know that,” he said. “It’s been a heck of a six years.
I know that and just trying to be where my feet are right now. Really was looking forward to this playoff run, and again, so it all comes to an end [Friday night].
We’ll see what the future holds.”
Asked by WRAL whether there would be another step in talks with NC State, Rivers added: “There could be. I think that the potential next step would involve all of those things you referenced.”
He was referring to his family. Rivers has 10 children and at least one grandchild.
His brother and sister live near Fairhope, Alabama, and his son, Pete, is a freshman quarterback for St. Michael.
Doeren’s dismissal came one day after a 31-28 loss at Stanford dropped NC State to 3-4. He finished 98-74 in 13-plus seasons in Raleigh. Under Doeren, the Wolfpack reached 11 bowl games and went 9-4 against rival North Carolina, but the program never won 10 games in a season and never reached the ACC Championship Game, which began in 2005.
NC State has not won an ACC football title since 1979.
In a late-October letter to Wolfpack Nation, Chancellor Kevin Howell and Corrigan said, “We believe this is the right time for a new chapter, with fresh leadership and renewed energy to elevate Wolfpack Football to the next level,”
They also wrote: “We believe that NC State will compete at an elite level, challenge for ACC Championships, and be positioned for the College Football Playoff year in and year out. Together, we are fully committed to providing the financial investment, infrastructure, and NIL support required to compete and win in this new landscape.”
In Other News...
NC State's Early Depth Is Giving The Wolfpack A Different Look
NC States 94-60 win over Presbyterian offered another early look at a Wolfpack team that is starting to show more ways to beat an opponent. Ven-Allen Lubin powered the front line with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Christian Hammond, Paul McNeil Jr. and Zymicah Wilkins all chipped in with meaningful scoring and work on the glass as the Wolfpack moved to 3-0.
What stood out just as much was how the offense spread itself around. NC State piled up 50 points in the paint and got 41 points from the bench, a sign that the rotation is already giving the team a different feel than it had in recent seasons. The challenge now is whether that depth can keep translating once the schedule tightens and the competition gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Philip Rivers Could Be Closing In On NC States Biggest Job
Philip Rivers appears to be moving closer to a return to Raleigh in a role few would have imagined a few years ago. The NC State Board of Trustees is expected to approve a contract for the former Wolfpack quarterback to become the football teams head coach, following the firing of Dave Doeren. Rivers, who is currently coaching at the high school level, has already met with university officials about the opening.
Rivers has not publicly confirmed the hire, but he has acknowledged that conversations are ongoing about what comes next. For a program looking to reset after making a change at the top, the possibility of bringing back one of its most recognizable former players adds an unmistakable layer of intrigue, even as the final steps remain to be completed. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Has No Margin For Error Against Syracuse
NC States defense left plenty to clean up after the Duke game, when the Wolfpack gave up 238 rushing yards and watched Nate Sheppard carve through them for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Even in a game with a rare bright spot, safety Andrew Pellicciotta turned a missed 50-yard field goal into a 109-yard touchdown return, reportedly the first play of that kind in program history, but the bigger takeaway was how much ground the Wolfpack surrendered on the other side of the ball.
Interim head coach Todd Goebbel didnt hide from the breakdowns, and he also didnt sound rattled by them as NC State turns to Syracuse. The Wolfpack know the margin for error is thin now, especially if the defense is going to be tested again, and the next step is proving the preparation matches the urgency of the moment. [Read more 🡒]