Speculate no more and scoff if you must at the out-of-the-box hire: Philip Rivers is NC State’s next head football coach. The university made the move official on Friday with an announcement from athletic director Boo Corrigan.
Rivers has signed a five-year deal to lead the Wolfpack, per the school. NC State did not initially disclose details but WRAL is reporting he will be paid a $3.25 million annual salary.
Rivers will be formally introduced at a private event on Monday, Nov. 16, which will air live on the ACC Network and stream on GoPack.com.
“I am humbled and honored to be the next head football coach at NC State University,” Rivers said in a release. “In many ways, I feel like I’m coming home. This is where it all began for me as an 18-year-old kid from Alabama, and now to return to this great place as head coach is beyond words.
“I gave it everything I had here as a player for 51 games and I will give it everything I have as the coach. There’s no denying that this is going to take hard work, but we’re not scared of hard. I look forward to getting after it every single day with an unbelievable coaching staff and a group of players who are dedicated to relentlessly pursuing victory.”
Back where it all started. Welcome home, Philip Rivers! 🔗: https://t.co/7VW0WEUfJl https://t.co/mNOblxaVfM — NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 13, 2026
Rivers will take the reins from Dave Doeren, who led the NC State program for 14 seasons before being dismissed on Oct. 24, a day after the Wolfpack lost at Stanford.
Rivers remains one of NC State’s most accomplished players, starting every game at quarterback from 2000-2003 and finishing as the program’s – and the ACC’s – leading passer (13,484 yards). His school record of 95 touchdown passes still stands.
Rivers was selected fourth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft and became one of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history. He spent 16 seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers before playing for Indianapolis in 2020, earning eight Pro Bowl selections and leading the Chargers to the AFC Championship Game following the 2007 season. Rivers briefly returned to the NFL with Indianapolis in December 2025.
Rivers coached high school football at St. Michael’s Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama, for the past six seasons. He led St. Michael’s to the playoffs four times, including this past season, and finished with a record of 48-20.
Rivers’ son, Gunner Rivers, is a senior quarterback standout at St. Michael’s. He committed to NC State under Doeren and will join his dad in Raleigh as part of the 2027 recruiting class.
“Philip Rivers is one of one and the right person to lead NC State Football into its next era,” Corrigan said in a release. “His accomplishments as a player at the collegiate and professional levels speak for themselves. But throughout this search process, what stood out to me most was his exceptional leadership ability, his character, the way he connects with people and his vision for this program. He is someone who is deeply respected and beloved by Wolfpack Nation, and I couldn’t be more proud that he will be the one leading our football program.”
This was one of the most unique coaching hires in recent college football memory. Rivers really was the only name to surface with any momentum, and it became obvious quickly that both sides wanted the marriage to happen.
The prospect of hiring Rivers did have its vocal detractors. Pundits decried Rivers’ lack of college coaching experience, the lack of a true comprehensive coaching search that included multiple candidates and interviews, and the lack of examples where former high school coaches have jumped straight to the college head coaching ranks with success.
In the end, NC State defied the critics and went with their guy, however inexperienced in college coaching circles ranks he may be.
One of Rivers’ biggest challenges will be translating his considerable football knowledge and NFL pedigree into success in the rapidly changing college game. Recruiting, the transfer portal, revenue sharing and the demands of building a college coaching staff represent unfamiliar territory for a coach whose only previous coaching experience came at the high school level.
But Rivers also brings something few other candidates could offer: instant name recognition, deep ties to NC State and a potentially powerful recruiting pitch to high school players across North Carolina. Whether those advantages translate into victories will help determine if the Wolfpack’s unconventional gamble pays off.
“Philip Rivers is the perfect leader for this era in college football,” NC State Chancellor Kevin Howell said. “Philip is a winner who embraces the high expectations we have for NC State Football. He has proven his ability to develop student-athletes and possesses the grit, integrity and vision to lead our program to championships. I could not be more excited to welcome Philip back to the Pack.”
