Philip Rivers is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach at NC State, in a homecoming that would put one of the great quarterbacks in school history in charge of the programme. Philip Rivers, 44, is set to take over as the 37th head coach of the Wolfpack, replacing Dave Doeren, who was fired on 24 October after a 3-4 start to his 14th season. The deal has not yet been formally announced, but reports on Sunday said the two sides were working to finish it, and an official announcement could follow soon.
Rivers played quarterback at NC State from 2000 to 2003, when he threw for 13,484 yards and 95 touchdowns. He then played 18 seasons in the NFL with the Chargers and the Colts, throwing for 63,984 yards and 425 touchdown passes, and he returned to Indianapolis as a player in 2025. He has spent the past six seasons as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, and he has never coached in college or the NFL.
The move has been talked about in Raleigh for weeks. Rivers confirmed that he had interviewed for the job, and he waited until his high school season ended before moving ahead. St. Michael lost its playoff game 42-35 to Glenwood School on Friday night, and reports said Rivers had already begun putting together a coaching staff for his return to NC State.
Philip Rivers and the search that led back to Raleigh
NC State moved fast after firing Doeren, and Philip Rivers was the leading name from the start. The school also spoke to Russell Wilson, who played at NC State before transferring to Wisconsin, and Wilson interviewed for the vacancy on Tuesday 3 November. But Rivers was the only true candidate through the whole search, according to 247Sports, and the job was his to take once his high school season was over.
Chancellor Kevin Howell and athletics director Boo Corrigan have set out big aims for the programme. They said in writing that NC State should challenge for ACC championships and be in position for the College Football Playoff year in and year out. Hiring Rivers is the boldest step they could take toward that aim, and it puts a familiar face at the front of the programme.
Bill Cowher and Dewayne Washington were named as advisers to Corrigan during the search. The board of trustees has a meeting set for 12 November, and the contract could be approved then, though the meeting could be brought forward. Rivers has already started work on bringing in staff, and one of his requests was a large enough pool of money to hire assistant coaches with college experience.
Philip Rivers and the family link to the programme
The family link runs deep. Gunner Rivers, the son of Philip Rivers, is a four star quarterback in the 2027 class who is committed to NC State, and he will enrol in January. Philip Rivers has been coaching his son at St. Michael, and the move to Raleigh raises the prospect of a father coaching his own son at the college level.
Gunner Rivers reaffirmed his commitment to NC State in late October, and he said he was staying fully locked in with the programme. His father coached him through the high school playoffs, and the two of them will now move to Raleigh together. The link gives the hire a personal pull that few coaching moves can match, and it gives recruits a clear sign of where the family stands.
What Philip Rivers faces in his first college job
The jump from high school head coach to leading an ACC programme is a large one, and Philip Rivers has no college coaching experience to lean on. His staff hires will matter more than most first moves, and the money NC State has promised for assistants will be a test of whether the school can back its aims with cash. Donors have promised funds to compete in the transfer portal, and Rivers will need to add players to a roster that has to be rebuilt for 2027.
Philip Rivers becomes the first former NC State player to take over the programme since Chuck Amato, his own head coach, ran it from 2000 to 2006. The deal is still being finalised, and the formal announcement is expected in the coming days.