After 14 underwhelming seasons under head coach Dave Doeren, NC State finally opted for a change, firing their coach amid a 3-4 start to the season with a 1-3 record in conference play. When you looked around the state of North Carolina and saw the Tar Heels all-in with Bill Belichick and Duke rolling with Manny Diaz, it became clear that the Wolfpack were going to strive for more.
From the moment NC State fired Doeren their head coaching search clearly had a type they were pursuing. Almost instantly, former NC State quarterback Philip Rivers was being floated as a candidate for the job, while fellow Wolfpack QB Russell Wilson even got an interview for the job. On Sunday Morning, after Rivers' High School season came to a close, the Wolfpack made the hire they've been circling the entire time.
BREAKING: NC State is working to finalize a deal to make Philip Rivers its next head coach, @Clowfb, @PeteNakos and @fleischman_noah report🐺
— On3 (@On3) November 8, 2026
Rivers has begun reaching out to potential front office and coaching staff candidates.https://t.co/waGSCEsJls https://t.co/dQj7OR0sg0 pic.twitter.com/OjzGUkkhvS
Philip Rivers' hiring will be a perfect case study for the NIL era
The reason behind hiring and pursuing Philip Rivers always seemed to be booster driven, and it makes a ton of sense why he'd be hired so quickly if that were the case. While the Athletic Directors, Board of Trustees, and School Presidents all control the process, at the end of the day in this modern era the group that matters the most are the ones who are signing the checks.
NC State easily could've gone out and hired a hot offensive or defensive coordinator, or even a rising star at the Group of 6 level. Every head coaching hire is a gamble, and if you're going to take a risk, you might as well do it with someone that the NIL supporters and fanbase can get behind. Rivers could end up bringing the program back to glory or being a total dud, but that's the case with every candidate.
The fans will easily be able to get behind Philip Rivers, who spent 2000-03 as the quarterback of the Wolfpack. Rivers set several NCAA records at NC State, picked up countless ACC awards, and will be able to look up at his Number 17 retired in the stadium. The success in the NFL ensures that any recruit the Wolfpack pursues will be aware of thier coach and what he's accomplished.
The obvious issue many will have with the decision to hire Rivers is his lack of serious coaching experience. Over the last 6 years, Rivers has led St. Michael Catholic High School, but doesn't have any coaching experience at the college or pro level. Playing quarterback in the NFL for as long as Rivers did means he's forgotten more about football than most will ever know, but coaching is a different animal.
The goal here is going to be to get boosters to back the program, and hopefully elevate the roster around Philip Rivers. This offseason with Rivers in place will be the first test of their goal, but getting him on board early should only help their chances of hitting the ground running.
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