Philip Rivers agrees to coach NC State, and trustees are expected to approve the deal Friday

Philip Rivers has agreed to terms to become NC State's head football coach, and the school's board of trustees is expected to approve the contract at a meeting Friday, according to ESPN and 247Sports' Pack Power. WRAL's Brian Murphy also reported that the board is expected to sign off Friday.

Rivers, 44, has never coached in college. He has spent six seasons as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, a program he built from the ground up and took to the state semifinals in 2024 and 2025, ESPN reported. Sources told ESPN he wanted to finish his high school season first. It ended Friday, and 247Sports reported that St. Michael lost 42-35 to Glenwood School in the playoffs.

Why NC State went back to him

Rivers emerged as the favorite as soon as Dave Doeren was fired on Oct. 24, ESPN reported. Doeren was 3-4 in his 14th season, per 247Sports. Russell Wilson, another former Wolfpack quarterback, was also in discussions about the job, according to ESPN.

Rivers played at NC State from 2000 to 2003 and threw for 13,484 yards and 95 touchdowns, breaking nearly every NC State and ACC record. He led the Wolfpack to four straight bowl games under Chuck Amato and won three of them. Amato died last month at 80.

His son, Gunner Rivers, is committed to NC State as a quarterback in the 2027 class.

The NFL résumé

Rivers played 17 NFL seasons, all but one with the Chargers, before retiring after the 2020 season. He came out of retirement last year to start three games for the Colts. In January he interviewed for the Bills' head coaching job before pulling out of that search.

247Sports reported that the trustees meet at 9 a.m. Friday and that Rivers would become NC State's 37th head coach.