NC State’s coaching search has a familiar name sitting right in the middle of it.
With the Wolfpack moving on from Dave Doeren midway through the 2026 season, former NC State quarterback and Hall of Famer Philip Rivers has emerged as one of the most talked-about candidates for the vacancy. On Monday morning, Rivers finally addressed the noise for the first time since the firing, though he stopped well short of saying anything about real interest in the job.
Speaking to Ben Thomas of AL.com, Rivers made clear he still has respect for Doeren and acknowledged the speculation swirling around his name.
"Ton of respect and appreciation for coach Doeren and all he did for the University," Rivers told Thomas. "I understand the chatter that's out there, but we are getting ready for Foley and the playoffs."
When Thomas followed up, Rivers replied that he was having a "normal Monday."
The timing matters here. Over the weekend, it was also confirmed that Rivers will no longer be on the coaching staff as the offensive coordinator for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic in December, a move that opens up his calendar in a few weeks.
There’s also the family angle, and it’s a big one. Rivers’ son, Gunner Rivers, a four-star quarterback committed to NC State in the 2027 class, was shut down for the regular season because of injury. He did not play in Friday’s game and will miss this Friday’s regular-season finale as well, though he could return for the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Rivers has kept building at St. Michael.
The Fairhope, Ala., program is 6-3 after an 0-3 start, even with Gunner unavailable for much of the season. Over six years, Rivers has turned St.
Michael into a 48-19 team after the program went just 6-15 in the three years before he arrived.
For now, Rivers is still focused on finishing the season with the Cardinals and pushing into the playoffs. But the buzz tying him to NC State isn’t fading, and Wolfpack fans are making it clear they’d love to see one of their own come home.
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Payton Wilson Is Making NC State Fans Take Notice In Pittsburgh
Payton Wilson keeps giving NC State fans reasons to check in on Pittsburgh, and his latest performance came in a tight international setting with real late-game stakes. In the Steelers' 16-10 win over the Saints in Paris, the former Wolfpack standout was active all afternoon, finishing with six tackles, a pass breakup and an interception while posting an 89.8 PFF grade, second-best on the team.
The interception was the kind of momentum play that can swing a game, and it came as Pittsburgh was trying to protect a slim lead in the fourth quarter. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy singled out Wilson afterward, which only adds to the growing sense that the rookie is carving out a noticeable role for himself at the next level. [Read more 🡒]
Philip Rivers And NC State Suddenly Feel Like A Real Possibility
Philip Rivers has quickly emerged as one of the more intriguing names tied to NC States opening, and it is easy to see why the idea has caught on. He is coaching high school football at St. Michael in Alabama now, but his recent brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts last season appears to have opened the door to a different kind of future, one that could extend beyond the prep level. The fit around Raleigh is obvious enough, too, with his son Gunner already at NC State and a few more players from Rivers high school program headed to the Wolfpack.
The storyline has only grown more interesting since the coaching change in Raleigh. Rivers has not been responsive since Dave Doeren was fired, and he has also stepped away from his planned role as offensive coordinator in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, a move that naturally adds to the speculation. For now, there is still plenty left unresolved, but the possibility that Rivers could eventually be in the mix for NC State is no longer just a throwaway idea. [Read more 🡒]
Why NC State Turned To Todd Goebbel In A Pivotal Moment
Todd Goebbel is now the man in charge on an interim basis after NC State moved on from Dave Doeren, a shift that puts a familiar face at the center of a pivotal moment for the program. His selection points to continuity at a time when the Wolfpack needed someone with institutional knowledge, and Goebbels path through the staff since 2019 gave the athletic department a coach who already understood the rhythm of the place.
He has worn multiple hats during his time in Raleigh, including special teams coordinator and running backs coach, which gave him broad contact across the roster and the staff. In a search that included other coaches with more prominent rsums, NC State clearly valued that steady familiarity and day-to-day experience, leaving the next step of the transition tied to how Goebbel handles the team in the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]