Philip Rivers is on the verge of taking on a new role at the place where it all started.
NC State is working to finalize a deal to make the former Wolfpack quarterback its next head coach, according to On3 insider Pete Nakos. Rivers has also begun reaching out to possible front office and coaching staff candidates as the program moves toward a major shakeup.
The move would send one of the most recognizable names in football back to Raleigh in a very different capacity. Rivers, who starred at NC State before launching a long NFL career, is now being lined up to lead a team that has struggled through a 4-5 start in the 2026 campaign and sits near the bottom of the ACC.
Rivers last appeared in the NFL a season ago, when the Colts needed quarterback help after Daniel Jones’ injury. The 44-year-old appears ready to close the book on his playing days and fully shift into coaching.
His path to this point has already included nearly five years on the sideline at the high school level. Rivers has been coaching at St.
Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Ala., while also making brief NFL returns with Indianapolis. Now, that experience may be about to translate to the college game.
NC State is clearly aiming for a headline-grabbing hire, and Rivers fits that bill. He remains one of the most accomplished players to come through the Wolfpack program in recent decades, and his NFL résumé speaks for itself. The Chargers selected him in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft after a trade with the New York Giants that eventually landed Eli Manning in New York.
The Wolfpack’s recent results help explain why the school is looking for a jolt. NC State has not finished with 10 or more wins since 2002, and a move for Rivers would bring instant attention to a program that wants a fresh start.
There is also a family angle here. Rivers’ son, Gunner Rivers, is set to join NC State as an incoming freshman for the 2027 season, which would give the elder Rivers a chance to coach the four-star recruit.
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NC State Is Taking A Huge Gamble On A Program Legend
NC State is leaning into nostalgia and risk at the same time, with Philip Rivers reportedly finalizing a deal to become the programs next head coach. The former Wolfpack quarterback and current high school coach would step into his first college coaching job after Dave Doeren was fired following the 2023 season, giving the school a headline move that ties its present to one of its most recognizable alumni.
Rivers arrival would also bring another layer of intrigue because his son, Gunner Rivers, is expected to join the Wolfpack as well. For NC State, the appeal is obvious: a program legend with deep ties to Raleigh, a built-in recruiting storyline and a fresh start after a coaching change. The question now is how that leap from high school sidelines to the college game will play out once the deal is complete. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Is Betting Big On Philip Rivers For One Reason
NC State appears ready to make one of the boldest coaching moves in the country, turning to Philip Rivers after firing Dave Doeren. The former Wolfpack quarterback and longtime NFL passer has been coaching high school football since 2021, and his name carries instant recognition in Raleigh because of what he meant to the program as a player and what he accomplished over a pro career that briefly included a return to the NFL last year.
The appeal goes beyond nostalgia, though. Rivers would arrive with no college coaching background, which makes the hire a major leap of faith, but NC State is clearly betting that his ties to the school can help steady the program and energize the next phase. One especially intriguing part of the picture is already in place for next season, giving the Wolfpack a family connection that only adds to the intrigue around this move. [Read more 🡒]
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The Wolfpack were especially shaky from deep, going just 3 of 11 from three-point range and failing to hit a long ball in the second half. Kentucky had its own star turn from Aja Sivka, who scored 32, but the broader issue for NC State was how little margin it had once the game sped up and the perimeter shots stopped falling. [Read more 🡒]