Philip Rivers NC State speculation intensified this week as the former Wolfpack star was reportedly identified as the focus of the program’s head coaching search following the departure of Dave Doeren.
North Carolina State parted ways with Doeren last week after a 31-28 loss to Stanford in Week 8, ending a 14-year run for the most successful head coach in school history. The Wolfpack named Todd Goebbel interim head coach and said the university would conduct a broad search for a permanent replacement.
Within days, attention turned to Rivers, who has been at the center of talk about the vacancy. In an interview at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, where he is the head coach, Rivers pushed back on the reports, saying there was “nothing there at this point.” He added, “Never say never.”
Philip Rivers NC State ties run deep
Rivers was NC State’s starting quarterback from 2000 to 2003. As a senior, he led the FBS in passing efficiency, completing 72 percent of his attempts, and topped the ACC with 4,491 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. The connection to Raleigh makes a potential reunion more plausible more than two decades after his college career.
Rivers entered the NFL in 2004, selected by the New York Giants and immediately traded to the San Diego Chargers. He spent 16 seasons with the Chargers organization, including after the franchise’s move to Los Angeles, and guided the team to an AFC Championship Game appearance in the 2008 season.
He retired following one year with the Indianapolis Colts and shifted to coaching, including his sons, at the high school level. Last season, Rivers returned from a four-year retirement to start three games for the Colts after the team lost Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles injury.
He has since resumed his role at St. Michael Catholic High School, where he currently coaches his son, Gunner. Asked about the ongoing rumors, Rivers acknowledged the moment. “You understand the chatter that’s out there,” he said. “You got to take it one day at a time.”