Philip Rivers Returns to College Roots as Head Coach

WHO:

WRAL - NC State Board of Trustees chairman Ed Stack said the appointment would help take the football program “to the next level.”

WRAL - Former NC State offensive lineman Scott Kooistra, who played alongside Rivers for three seasons, said he believes Rivers will succeed and described him as “a grinder” and “a worker.”

WRAL - North Carolina coach Bill Belichick called Rivers a “Fantastic. Excellent competitor. Tough” player.

WRAL - Duke coach Manny Diaz said Rivers’ ability as a quarterback to inspire teammates was part of his success and said that quality likely carried into coaching.

WRAL - NC State named former Wolfpack quarterback Philip Rivers as its head football coach.

WRAL - Rivers is 44 and played for NC State from 2000 to 2003.

WRAL - Rivers’ son, Gunner Rivers, is a four-star quarterback who committed to NC State in February and is expected to be a freshman there next season.

WRAL - NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan and Chancellor Kevin Howell led the coaching search; Howell became chancellor in 2025.

WRAL - Rivers replaced Dave Doeren, who won 98 games as NC State head coach.

WRAL - Rivers spent six seasons as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.

WRAL - Rivers played 18 NFL seasons with the Chargers and Colts.

WHAT:

WRAL - NC State has not won a football conference title since 1979 and has never finished a season ranked in the AP Top 10.

WRAL - Rivers interviewed for the Buffalo Bills head-coaching job in the offseason but withdrew from consideration.

WRAL - NC State lost to Stanford, Wake Forest and Duke, three of the ACC’s four lowest-spending football programs.

WRAL - Rivers’ NFL career overlapped with Belichick’s New England Patriots tenure; Belichick went 8-1 against Rivers, including 3-0 in the playoffs.

WRAL - Rivers’ contract was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees. He signed a five-year deal starting at $3.25 million annually, with yearly escalators of $200,000.

WRAL - Rivers started 51 consecutive games at NC State, led the ACC in passing in his final two seasons, and was the conference’s Player of the Year as a senior.

WRAL - Rivers was the No. 4 overall NFL Draft pick and threw for nearly 64,000 yards in the NFL.

WRAL - He returned from retirement to start three games for the injury-depleted Colts in 2025.

WRAL - Rivers led St. Michael to back-to-back state semifinals in 2024 and 2025.

WRAL - Gunner Rivers injured his right leg in his season opener, missed most of his senior season, then returned for the state-playoff first round; his team lost 42-35.

WRAL - NC State was 4-5, with three regular-season games remaining under interim coach Todd Goebbel.

WRAL - The College Football Playoff is set to expand from 12 to 24 teams in 2027.

Daily Mail Sports - The article described Rivers as the “grandfather quarterback” and said his son is set to play quarterback.

WHERE:

WRAL - Rivers’ father, Steve Rivers, coached at Wakefield High School in Raleigh during Rivers’ NC State playing years.

WRAL - Rivers is returning to NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he played college football.

WRAL - Rivers grew up in Alabama and coached at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.

WHEN:

WRAL - Rivers will be introduced at a news conference Monday afternoon.

WRAL - Doeren was fired on Oct. 24, seven games into his 14th season.

WRAL - NC State is scheduled to open its 2027 season at home against North Carolina A&T; that will be Rivers’ first game as head coach.

WHY:

WRAL - Corrigan said Rivers’ love for the university had continued to grow and described him as “part of our DNA.”

WRAL - Howell and Corrigan said the hire would bring “a new chapter, with fresh leadership and renewed energy to elevate” the program.

WRAL - Corrigan said Rivers’ lack of college coaching experience was not a concern, noting that Rivers grew up the son of a coach and began coaching after his playing career.

HOW:

WRAL - Kooistra said Rivers has “an eye for talent” and has been around football his whole life.

WRAL - Rivers said he was “humbled and honored” and felt he was “coming home”; he pledged to give the job everything he had.

WRAL - Howell and Corrigan pledged financial investment, infrastructure and name, image and likeness support to compete for ACC championships and College Football Playoff places.

WRAL - NC State’s football roster spending was estimated at $22 million to $26 million, around the ACC average, according to The Athletic.

NC State named former quarterback Philip Rivers head football coach, bringing him home to Raleigh. Rivers replaces Dave Doeren after coaching Alabama high school football and playing 18 NFL seasons. His son, quarterback Gunner, is expected to join the Wolfpack next season.