NC State is moving with urgency to secure Philip Rivers as its next head football coach, according to reports from On3. The former NFL quarterback and Wolfpack alum is currently finalizing a contract to take over the program following the 2026 season. Rivers, who has been coaching high school football at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, emerged as the frontrunner immediately after the firing of longtime head coach Dave Doeren.
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The decision to part ways with Doeren came after a disastrous start to the 2026 campaign, which saw the Wolfpack fall to a 4-5 record. The season was defined by a stunning loss to Vanderbilt and a subsequent blowout defeat by Duke, marking a sharp decline from Doeren’s tenure where his teams won at least eight games in five of the last six seasons. This hiring move signals a significant shift in strategy for a program seeking to rebuild its competitive identity in the ACC.
Rivers’ potential arrival offers a major boost for NC State in an increasingly volatile conference landscape. With Miami solidifying its status as the top ACC program, Clemson struggling to maintain its pre-NIL dominance, and Florida State navigating an athletic department transition, the Wolfpack have a unique window to reassert themselves. Leveraging Rivers’ star power and deep ties to the university could be the catalyst needed to stabilize the program and attract top-tier talent.
Source: Yahoo Sports
