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To revitalize its struggling football program, North Carolina State is turning to one of the most celebrated players in its history. The Wolfpack are working to complete an agreement with former standout quarterback Philip Rivers, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
Rivers played at NC State from 2000 to 2003 and was named ACC Player of the Year as a senior before launching an 18-year NFL career that included eight Pro Bowl selections. His No. 17 jersey has been retired by the university.
He will replace Dave Doeren, who was dismissed seven games into his 14th season with the Wolfpack at 3-4. Doeren compiled a 98-74 record at NC State, making him the program's all-time winningest coach by a wide margin. In his final 12 full seasons, his teams won at least eight games eight times.
Rivers, 44, has never coached at the college level. For the past six seasons, he has served as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where he has posted a 48-21 record. His team's season ended Friday, Nov. 6, with a 42-35 loss to Glenwood High School in the first round of the state playoffs.
"Shoot, I don't know that," Rivers told reporters after the game. "I don't know that. It has been a heck of a six years, I know that. Just trying to be where my feet are right now. Really was looking forward to this playoff run and it all comes to an end tonight. We'll see what the future holds."
The track record of coaches making the jump Rivers is making isn't great, but former UAB coach Trent Dilfer, who made a similar leap, believes Rivers is cut out for the job.
"Because he'll be relational, he'll be able to identify a good player from an overvalued recruit or player," said Dilfer, who after three seasons at UAB has returned to the high school ranks in Tennessee. "There's tons of overvalued recruits. I think what we know from our NFL days is what true value is. It's then having the resources to pay that number. If NC State's willing to go all in on that, then Philip will be a home run because he'll be able to evaluate them, recruit them, and now pay them. We could evaluate them as good as anybody. That's true, just based on all the guys we had at UAB that are now Power-Four starters. We could recruit them because it's relational, and we're good at it. We just couldn't keep them. We couldn't pay them, and we couldn't get the ones out the portal because you don't have the money."
Rivers' leadership has long been one of his calling cards. The 44-year-old even briefly returned to the NFL in 2025, making three starts for the Indianapolis Colts four full seasons after initially retiring following the 2020 season.
"Philip is one of the best leaders I've been around," said Brian Bratton, a former Indianapolis Colts assistant coach who worked with Rivers and is now wide receivers coach at Stanford. "Of course, it's documented and has been evident throughout his career. The way he prepares, the way he leads, the way he motivates, it all gives you hope. He showed confidence and conviction and that's what you want in your leader. The energy changed when he came into the building. We didn't win a game, but I believed every week we were going to. He was great to be around and watch lead."
USA TODAY Sports reported Nov. 4 that Rivers had begun assembling a staff. ESPN had previously reported that fellow former NC State quarterback Russell Wilson interviewed for the head coach vacancy, but that meeting occurred after Rivers had already started building his staff.
"They've been working on a deal the entire past week. Not finalized but it's getting there," one person close to the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
Key Analysis
Rivers' transition from high school to college football is unconventional, but his deep ties to NC State and his reputation as a leader could energize a program in need of a spark. The hire also reflects a growing trend of NFL-experienced coaches evaluating talent in the college ranks, where name, image, and likeness deals have reshaped recruiting. Rivers' success will depend on his ability to adapt to the college game and assemble a staff capable of navigating the modern landscape.
Originally reported by usatoday.