CBS Sports reports ‘continued momentum’ between NC State and Philip Rivers in head coaching search

RALEIGH, North Carolina – The reports continue to trickle in NC State And Philippe Rivières regarding the head football coaching vacancy. Both parties have been linked to each other since the moment Dave Doeren was fired and Rivers remains the best option for the Wolfpack so far.

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Tuesday, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports offered more insight into the discussions between NC State and Rivers, noting that they are expected to discuss terms again soon.

“Both parties are expected to continue communications in the near future,” Zenitz wrote. “There is continued momentum right now toward Rivers ultimately being the hire, sources told CBS Sports. Nothing is final at this point, though.”

While Rivers’ main obstacle throughout the Wolfpack’s interest has been his lack of college coaching experience, it’s also worth noting that he made the choice to go to high school after concluding a 17-year NFL career. Rather than move up the college coaching ranks, Rivers returned to Alabama to coach his son – Gunner Rivers, a four-star NC State commit – and turn around a Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael program that hadn’t had a winning season before his arrival.

Rivers could potentially look to do the same for NC State if he takes the job. With the Wolfpack currently late in the NIL era — State is in the bottom third of the ACC in list tiers — getting a boost from Rivers as well as building a veteran staff that understands roster construction and how to run a college program around him would be important.

Here’s what the national columnist from 247Sports and CBS Sports says John Talty had to say about why Rivers could succeed in Raleigh:

As CBS Sports first reported last week, Philip Rivers has been the focus of North Carolina State’s search from the moment the school fired Dave Doeren. This has only become more serious over the past week and multiple industry sources told CBS Sports they expect the hiring to happen at this point. Most telling is that NC State isn’t seriously entertaining any candidate not named Rivers.

It’s a huge risk to hire not only a first-time college head coach from the high school ranks, but also a program legend. It’s not easy to fire a beloved former student. NC State knows this firsthand when it had to fire former basketball coach Sidney Lowe. The last coach to go straight from being a successful high school coach to the FBS level was Trent Dilferand he didn’t even manage three full seasons at UAB with a disastrous record of 9-21.

There are many reasons why this won’t work, and yet I still think it might. Rivers was a cerebral quarterback, which translated into his coaching job at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama. He is a powerful motivator and can kickstart NC State’s booster base to make the Wolfpack more competitive. He’s a household name that shouldn’t hurt recruiting, a world he has some experience in after helping his son navigate that process before committing to NC State.

The key, as is the case with any coach, but especially Rivers, is recruiting the coaching and support staff. Rivers could excel in a leadership role among men, but he will need smart people around him who know how to get things done at the college level. He needs a good GM to help him with the NIL and personnel, and he needs a good defensive coordinator to take a lot of the pressure off him in that department. South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton Whitean NC State alum, would be a great fit.

NC State has been reliable and solid during Doeren’s 14 years in Raleigh. The Wolfpack were rarely great but never bad. It’s been a good run for a long time, but the program needs someone who can reinvigorate it. Rivers, who interviewed well for the Buffalo Bills in January, is the high-risk, high-reward candidate who could propel the program to greater heights.

As St. Michael begins the playoffs next Friday against Phenix City (Ala.) Glenwood (5-5), Wolfpack fans will likely have to wait to find out whether or not Rivers is next in line for the head coaching job.

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