NC State's coaching search is going through a high school field house in south Alabama.
Representatives from NC State are set to meet with Philip Rivers in Fairhope, Alabama, on Wednesday, November 4, about the Wolfpack's head coaching job, according to On3.
Chris Low added that Rivers "remains the focus" of the search and that "a deal is expected to come together soon."
The timing is a bit unusual. Rivers is the head coach at St. Michael Catholic (AL), where he coaches his son, Gunner, and the Cardinals open the Alabama state playoffs at home on Friday night.
Late last month, we shared the story of NC State moving on from Dave Doeren after 14 seasons. The school fired Doeren on October 24, the day after a loss at Stanford dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4. Doeren left as the winningest coach in program history with 98 victories. Todd Goebbel, on staff since 2019, is serving as interim head coach.
Rivers was asked about the job after St. Michael's regular-season finale on October 30, a 53-32 loss.
"Never say never, but nothing imminent," Rivers shared. "NC State's special to me. There's nothing there at this point. You understand the chatter is out there. Got to take it one day at a time is all I know."
He also said, "You're talking about NC State, that makes things a little bit different in terms of your love for the place."
Now, just days later, the two sides are sitting down face to face.
Rivers is not the only former Wolfpack quarterback in the conversation. Russell Wilson, who played three seasons at NC State before finishing at Wisconsin in 2011, also reportedly interviewed for the job. NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan is leading the search with former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher and Dewayne Washington serving as advisors.
Rivers started 51 straight games at NC State from 2000 to 2003 under Chuck Amato, an NCAA record at the time. He threw for 13,484 yards and 95 touchdowns, led the Wolfpack to a school-record 11 wins in 2002 with a Gator Bowl win over Notre Dame, and was named ACC Player of the Year in 2003. His #17 is retired.
He went fourth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft and was traded to the Chargers on draft night. Over 17 seasons with the Chargers and Colts, he made eight Pro Bowls and finished sixth all-time in both passing yards and touchdown passes. He came out of retirement in December 2025 to start the final three games of the season for an injury-riddled Colts team, opening with an 18-16 loss to Seattle at age 44.
Rivers took over at St. Michael in 2021, and with him at the helm, the Cardinals have reached the state semifinals in their classification each of the last two seasons, and Gunner, a four-star quarterback, is committed to NC State.
He has never coached in college or the NFL, but he has been in the interview chair for a spot before after interviewing for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job after last season before eventually withdrawing.
As a high school coach, I'll say this much. Running a program, from the weight room to the parents to Friday night, teaches you more about being a head coach than people outside the profession give it credit for. The jump to running a Power Four staff, roster and budget is a whole other another animal, and the people Rivers hires around him will be very, very important.
For now, he has a playoff game to get ready for.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.