Philip Rivers named NC State head coach

Published November 13, 2026 01:05 PM NC State has made it official: Philip Rivers is the football program’s new head coach. After word emerged Rivers was the frontrunner to land the job, his alma mater announced his hiring on Friday.“I am humbled and honored to be the next head football coach at NC State University,” Rivers said in a statement. “In many ways, I feel like I’m coming home. This is where it all began for me as an 18-year-old kid from Alabama, and now to return to this great place as head coach is beyond words.“I gave it everything I had here as a player for 51 games and I will give it everything I have as the coach. There’s no denying that this is going to take hard work, but we’re not scared of hard. I look forward to getting after it every single day with an unbelievable coaching staff and a group of players who are dedicated to relentlessly pursuing victory.”Rivers, who came out of retirement to play for the Colts down the stretch last year, became a high school coach in Alabama in 2021. This will be his first coaching job at the college or pro level, though he interviewed for the Bills’ vacancy in the offseason.Rivers replaces longtime coach Dave Doeren, who was fired in October. He had been with the Wolfpack since 2013.