The North Carolina State Board of Trustees is expected to approve a contract this week making former Wolfpack quarterback Philip Rivers the football team’s head coach, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.
Rivers, a former college and NFL star who has never coached at either of those levels, has been expected to be hired by his alma mater.
The trustees will meet Thursday and Friday, with the full board slated to gather Friday morning in Raleigh. The agenda includes a closed session on Friday, Raleigh television station WRAL reported. Personnel contracts are often discussed in closed sessions before a final vote in open session, WRAL noted.
Rivers, who turns 45 in December, met with NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan and other school officials on Nov. 4 in Alabama to discuss the open position. His name has been mentioned for the opening since Dave Doeren was fired Oct. 24.
ESPN reported that Rivers told NC State officials he wanted to finish his current season as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High in Fairhope, Ala., where his son Gunner is a quarterback and a four-star commit to the Wolfpack’s 2027 recruiting class.
Rivers led St. Michael to the state playoff semifinals in each of the previous two seasons. The team’s 2026 season ended last Friday with a 42-35 loss in the first round of the playoffs.
NC State parted ways with Doeren after a 3-4 start to his 14th season in Raleigh. He compiled a 98-74 record, including a 4-6 mark in bowl games. Todd Goebbel is the team’s interim coach.
Rivers is NC State’s career leader in completions (1,087), passing yards (13,484) and touchdown passes (95). He started 49 games for the Wolfpack from 2000-03. He finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting in 2003 and was inducted into the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.
Rivers was the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He threw for 63,984 yards, 425 touchdowns and 212 interceptions over 18 NFL seasons for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2004-19) and Colts (2020, 2025).
