Philip Rivers, NC State Agree to HC Contract in New CFB Rumors After Russell Wilson Buzz

Former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers officially agreed to become NC State's new head coach on Wednesday, according to Chris Low and Pete Nakos of On3.com (h/t On3.com's Daniel Hager).

According to ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Pete Thamel, Rivers and NC State are expected to finalize a contract on Friday following a meeting with the Board of Trustees.

Jadyn Watson-Fisher of the Raleigh News & Observer previously reported that the Wolfpack were expected to hire Rivers, who played for NC State in college from 2000-03.

He'll have a chance to coach his son, Gunner, after he committed to NC State on Feb. 23. Gunner is a 4-star prospect and is listed as the No. 12 quarterback in the 2027 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Wolfpack started their search for a new head coach after Dave Doeren was fired following a 3-4 start to the 2026 season on Oct. 24. Todd Goebbel, who previously served as NC State's running backs coach and special teams coordinator, now operates as interim head coach.

On the same day as Doeren's exit, ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported that Rivers was under consideration for the vacancy.

He was able to win the job over other candidates including fellow former NFL passer Russell Wilson, who reportedly interviewed for the position.

Rivers led the Wolfpack to four straight bowl games during his playing career, finishing No. 7 in Heisman Trophy voting during his final season at the school in 2003.

He amassed 13,484 passing yards and 95 touchdowns at NC State, with both marks ranking No. 1 on the team's all-time leaderboards.

Rivers went on to put together an impressive NFL career, earning eight Pro Bowl nods from 2004-20. He also briefly returned to the league for three games during the 2025 season.

Rivers has high school coaching experience with St. Michael Catholic in Alabama, helping the team advance to the Class 4A semifinals in the state playoffs during each of the past two years. St. Michael Catholic owns a 6-5 record this season.

Now, Rivers will transition to coaching at the college level for his alma mater.