November 11, 2026Updated November 12, 2026, 1:29 p.m. ET
North Carolina State football is hiring former quarterback Philip Rivers as its next head coach, USA TODAY Sports confirmed on Wednesday, November 11.
The NC State Board of Trustees is expected to finalize a contract this week, reportedly on Friday, Nov. 13, that will bring Rivers back to coach his alma mater.
This is a bold, outside-the-box hire for the Wolfpack. Rivers has never coached at the college level, but the program’s all-time leading passer and one of the most accomplished NFL quarterbacks of his era has been the head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama since 2021.
Rivers replaces Dave Doeren, who provided stability during his 14 seasons at NC State but was never able to push the program to another level. The Wolfpack never won more than nine games in a season under Doeren.
In this sense, Rivers represents almost the exact opposite: a movement upward rather than stable.
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 over 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 now the wide receivers coach at Stanford. “Of course it’s documented and it’s been evident throughout his career. The way he prepares, the way he leads, the way he motivates, all of that gives you hope.
“He showed confidence and belief and that’s what you want from your leader. The energy changed when he walked into the building. We didn’t win a game, but I believed every week that we would. He was great to be there and watch lead.”
Rivers’ son, Gunner Rivers, is also a four-star quarterback committed to the Wolfpack. Rivers coaches his son at St. Michael Catholic School.
At NC State, Rivers made 51 consecutive starts, won ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 and was ultimately drafted No. 4 overall by the then-San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft. His number 17 was retired by the school after he threw for 13,484 yards in college.
Rivers would be the first former high school head coach to make the jump straight to college since fellow former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer did the same with UAB ahead of the 2023 season. Dilfer went 9-21 before being fired midway through the 2025 season.
The track record of coaches who have made the jump that Rivers is making is not great. Dilfer, however, believes Rivers is made for the job.
“Because he will be relational, he will be able to identify a good player from a recruit or an overrated player,” said Dilfer, who after three seasons at UAB is now back in the high school ranks in Tennessee. “There are tons of overvalued recruits. I think what we know from the NFL days is what the true value is. Then you have to have the resources to pay that number.
“If NC State is willing to go all out, 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 well as anyone. That’s right, based on all the guys we had at UAB who are now Power-Four starters. We could recruit them because it’s relational and we’re good. We just couldn’t keep them. We couldn’t pay them, and we couldn’t get them. exit the gate because you have no money.
USA TODAY Sports reported on Nov. 4 that Rivers had begun putting together a team. ESPN previously reported that former NC State quarterback Russell Wilson interviewed for the vacant head coaching position, but that meeting took place after Rivers had already started putting his staff together.
USA TODAY Sports has learned that former NFL player Jerricho Cotchery is expected to be a candidate to join Rivers’ eventual team at NC State.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Cotchery played alongside Rivers at NC State. He is now a college coach, serving as passing game coordinator at NCAA Division II program North Greenville University.
Additionally, several people with knowledge of the proceedings believe another former NC State quarterback, Jatavis Sanders, is in the running for a front-office role with the Wolfpack.
Sanders, currently Alabama’s director of recruiting strategy, previously worked at his alma mater as director of recruiting. He also spent time as Rivers’ backup quarterback at NC State.
Current NC State tight ends coach Gavin Locklear is another intriguing potential holdover. An alumnus of the school, Locklear appeared in nearly 40 career games at tight end for the Wolfpack.
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