North Carolina State is working to finalize a deal to hire former quarterback Philip Rivers as the school’s next football coach, multiple outlets reported Sunday.
Rivers played for the Wolfpack from 2000-03 before starting a lengthy NFL career. He retired after the 2020 season, then made a brief comeback on the field last fall to make three starts for the Indianapolis Colts.
His name has been mentioned for the opening since Dave Doeren was fired Oct. 24.
Rivers is far enough along in negotiations that he has begun reaching out to potential members of a new football staff, per both outlets.
Per an earlier ESPN report, Rivers told NC State officials he wanted to finish his current season as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High in Fairhope, Ala., where his son, Gunner, is a quarterback and a four-star commit to the Wolfpack’s 2027 recruiting class.
Rivers led St. Michael to the state playoff semifinals in each of the previous two seasons. The season ended Friday night with a 42-35 loss in the first round of the playoffs.
He has never coached in college. He will turn 45 next month.
“I mean, shoot, NC State’s special to me,” Rivers told Al.com recently. “Gotta take it one day at a time, you know, is all I know.”
NC State parted ways with Doeren after a 3-4 start to his 14th season in Raleigh. He compiled a 98-74 record, including 4-6 in bowl games. Todd Goebbel is the team’s interim coach.
Rivers is NC State’s career leader in completions (1,087), passing yards (13,484) and touchdown passes (95), starting 49 games for the Wolfpack. He finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2003 and was inducted into the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024.
Rivers was the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, throwing for 63,984 yards, 425 touchdowns and 212 interceptions over 18 NFL seasons for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2004-19) and Colts (2020; 2025).
