Philip Rivers is reportedly interested in coaching NC State. But there's a catch
· Yahoo Sports
There appears to be momentum gaining for former North Carolina State quarterback Philip Rivers to return to Raleigh, North Carolina, and make his first jump into coaching college football.
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According to The Athletic, talks between the Wolfpack and the 18-year NFL veteran are heating up for him to replace Dave Doeren after the latter was fired on Saturday, Oct. 24, one day after NC State dropped to 1-3 in ACC play with a loss to Stanford.
Rivers, who played at NC State from 2000-2003, has been linked to the Wolfpack opening from the moment it became open, despite his lack of coaching experience in at the college ranks.
Per The Athletic, Rivers has a potential caveat if he is to take over his former program.
The Athletic noted that Rivers would like to finish coaching his high school team, St. Michael Catholic, "on good terms." That means finishing the 2026 AHSAA Playoff. The Alabama state playoffs don't begin for St. Michael Catholic until Friday, Nov. 6, and a deep run could keep Rivers' team playing for another four to five weeks. St. Michael Catholic has gone 3-1 in playoff games under Rivers in each of the last two seasons.
Other issues, per The Athletic, include roster and staffing resources.
"Shoot, NC State’s special to me," Rivers recently told AL.com. "Coach Doeren, shoot, what he did there for 14 years, all-time winningest coach, I have a ton of respect and appreciation for how he went about it with the university. There’s nothing there at this point. You understand the chatter that’s out there. You’ve gotta take it one day at a time. That’s all I know. I’m excited about this postseason with these guys here. You never say never. But there’s nothing imminent."
As noted by USA TODAY Sports' Austin Curtright, Rivers would make a rare jump from the high school ranks directly to college if he took the job. The move has produced limited success historically, with former UAB coach Trent Dilfer the most recent example. Since 1974, only five high school coaches have been hired as FBS head coaches: Former Notre Dame coach Gerry Faust remains the only one to post a winning record, going 30-26-1 with the Fighting Irish.
Rivers, who interviewed for the Buffalo Bills job last offseason but later withdrew, threw for a combined 13,484 yards and 95 touchdowns over his four seasons with the Wolfpack. His son, Gunner Rivers, is also an NC State commit, verbally committing to Doeren and his staff.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Philip Rivers is reportedly interested in coaching NC State. But there's a catch