N.C. State is on the verge of hiring Philip Rivers as its next head football coach, pending approval from the university’s board of trustees at a meeting scheduled for Friday. The agreement with Rivers, a former Wolfpack quarterback and longtime NFL star, remains unofficial until the trustees give their formal consent, according to a source familiar with the process who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday.
Rivers will replace Dave Doeren, who was dismissed midway through his 14th season despite holding the program’s career wins record. The search for a new coach has centered on finding someone who can elevate the program beyond its previous plateau. Rivers, 44, has spent the last six years coaching at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where he mentored his son, Gunner Rivers, a four-star quarterback prospect who committed to N.C. State in February.
Though Rivers has no experience coaching at the college or professional level, he interviewed for the Buffalo Bills’ head coaching job in January before withdrawing his name from consideration. His connection to the Wolfpack runs deep. Rivers starred at N.C. State from 2000 to 2003, setting Atlantic Coast Conference records for career passing yards (13,484), completions (1,087), and attempts (1,710), along with school records for touchdown passes (95). His No. 17 jersey is retired by the school.
After college, Rivers was the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft and played 16 seasons with the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers. He finished his career with the Indianapolis Colts, retiring after the 2020 season. Rivers was an eight-time Pro Bowler who ranks in the top 10 in NFL history with nearly 64,000 passing yards and 425 touchdowns.
Following his playing career, Rivers had already accepted the head coaching job at St. Michael Catholic before officially retiring as a player. However, in December, he briefly returned to the NFL, joining the Colts’ practice squad and starting three games due to multiple injuries at quarterback. He retired again and returned to his high school coaching duties.
The St. Michael Catholic season ended last Friday with a first-round playoff loss to Glenwood, despite Gunner Rivers returning from a knee injury. Philip Rivers reflected on his tenure with the program, saying, “If it were to be the last time out here, shoot, a lot was accomplished. Certainly if that were to be the case, it will be left better than it was six years ago.” His voice cracked with emotion during remarks to reporters, highlighting the uncertainty about his next steps.
Rivers confirmed in recent interviews that he had met with N.C. State officials in Alabama just before the high school playoffs. “We met and visited, I’ve known some of those guys for a while now,” he said. “It was good to visit with them, but there’s really nothing else to report at this point.”
The Wolfpack face challenges common to many college programs, including increased player movement through the transfer portal and the evolving landscape of athlete compensation. Doeren, after his firing, commented on the difficulty of the position, saying, “This is a great job, N.C. State. And this is also a very hard job.”
Rivers’ hiring would bring a familiar face back to the program at a time when N.C. State looks to maintain and grow its competitiveness within the ACC and nationally. The university’s trustees will decide on the agreement Friday, possibly making Rivers the head coach by the weekend.
According to Yahoo Sports.
