Philip Rivers could be hired as the next head coach at his alma mater, North Carolina State. “Could” is the key word here.
Although the process to replace Dave Doeren is in the very early stages, all of the signs point toward a reunion in Raleigh!
The latest updates surrounding the Wolfpack’s college football coaching search do not seem like a coincidence. We’ll see.
North Carolina State booster Andy Albright was not subtle.
It has been 14 years since North Carolina State had to be make a coaching hire for college football. Dave Doeren took over the program in 2013 and, while there was a brief moment where it looked like he was going to become the next head coach at Ole Miss in 2017, he was a steady presence for the Wolfpack for more than a decade.
However, the football program was supposed to take a big step forward in 2026 with CJ Bailey at quarterback. It lost to Stanford on Friday night and dropped to 3-4.
That was, apparently, the final straw.
Dave Doeren was fired as the head football coach at N.C. State on Saturday. He became the first Wolfpack coach to be fired during the season since John Van Liew in 1930. The news was announced around 6:00 p.m. on the east coast.
Philip Rivers’ name was immediately attached to the job opening at his alma mater. Other names include Manny Diaz, Mike Shanahan, Jamey Chadwell, Jason Eck, Charles Huff, Jake Dickert, Shannon Dawson, Glenn Schumann, Billy Napier and Buster Faulkner, but it sounds like Rivers is the clear frontrunner.
Coincidentally — or perhaps not coincidentally — Andy Albright posted a series of photos with Rivers on Saturday afternoon. It went live on X approximately two hours before Doeren’s ouster was announced.
Albright, who works in real estate, insurance and private equity, is the Wolfpack’s most important booster. His name is on the scoreboard at the football stadium.
Albright said his post was “just crazy timing.” He later followed up with a series of posts to thank Doeren.
Make of this what you will. Read between the lines if you choose to do so.
Philip Rivers went radio silent.
As things currently stand, it seems like Philip Rivers is going to be the next head football coach at North Carolina State. The 44-year-old currently serves as the head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama with his son at quarterback.
Gunner Rivers, a four-star prospect in the recruiting Class of 2027, committed to the Wolfpack in February. It sounds like his dad could also coach him in college like he currently is coaching him in high school.
Ben Thomas of AL.com was one of the many reporters who reached out to the head coach at St. Michael Catholic after Doeren was fired on Saturday. The Rivers family patriarch has not returned his — or any — texts or phone calls since Saturday morning.
In addition, Philip Rivers reportedly decided not to coach in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic in December. He previously agreed to be the offensive coordinator for the Alabama All-Star team. Why the sudden change of heart?
Pat Welter of WRAL also gave the following update on Sunday afternoon:
St. Michael Catholic will play its final game of the regular season on Friday but the Cardinals are (more than likely) going to make the playoffs. Rivers could be announced as the next head coach at N.C. State as soon as Halloween. He would then be able to coach his high school team through the postseason, until it loses, while also starting to assume some responsibilities (recruiting, roster retention, hiring a coaching staff) with the Wolfpack. He would not have the time to coach an all-star game at the end of December.
Things change. Everything is fluid. Only the administration, and maybe some boosters like Albright, know what it wants to do with its head coaching hire. All signs point to Rivers…