Philip Rivers Set to Become NC State's Head Coach, Bringing a Wolfpack Legend Home

NC State's coaching search is ending where it started. The Wolfpack are finalizing a deal to make Philip Rivers, the most decorated quarterback in program history, their next head coach.

On3's Chris Low, Pete Nakos and Noah Fleischman reported Sunday that NC State is working to finalize an agreement with Rivers. A to Z Sports said its own sources confirmed Rivers is expected to be the hire, and that he had accepted the job as early as Wednesday. The school has not announced it, and NC State's Board of Trustees, which meets Nov. 12 and 13, must approve the next head coach's contract, according to WRAL.

Rivers is 44 and has never coached in college or the NFL. He has spent the last six seasons as head coach at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Ala., and that run ended Friday night.

How NC State got here

The job opened on Oct. 24, the day after a 31-28 loss at Stanford. NC State fired Dave Doeren midway through his 14th season. He left as the winningest coach in school history, but he never reached the ACC Championship Game. Athletic director Boo Corrigan promised a national search.

Rivers was in it from day one. ESPN's Pete Thamel put his name in the mix the day Doeren was fired, and by Oct. 30 On3 was reporting that Rivers had become the focus of the search.

On Oct. 31, ESPN reported Rivers was in serious talks to return to his alma mater, though a deal wasn't close and he wanted to finish his high school season first. That same afternoon, interim coach Todd Goebbel won his debut 31-10 over Cal.

The other famous name

The search briefly had a second star quarterback in it. On Nov. 3, Russell Wilson interviewed for the job, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Wilson started for the Wolfpack from 2008 to 2010 before transferring to Wisconsin, then won a Super Bowl with Seattle. He has never coached at any level and retired from the NFL in June to join CBS Sports.

Wilson's interview never really moved Rivers off the top of the board. The same day, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported "continued momentum" toward Rivers, and no other candidate has been publicly reported.

A week that settled it

Things moved quickly from there. On Wednesday, NC State officials, including Corrigan, met with Rivers in Alabama, WRAL reported. Low and Nakos reported around the same time that Rivers had started making preliminary calls to build a coaching staff and front office.

On Friday night, St. Michael lost 42-35 at home to Glenwood in the first round of the Alabama state playoffs. Afterward, Rivers confirmed the meeting. "Yeah, we met and visited. I've known some of those guys for a while now," he said, per Pack Insider. Asked whether a next step was coming, he said, "There could be."

A day later, the Wolfpack had their worst afternoon of the season. Duke routed NC State 41-3 in Raleigh on Saturday, dropping the Wolfpack to 4-5 and 2-4 in the ACC and to 1-1 under Goebbel. By Sunday, the Rivers deal was being finalized.

Why Rivers

Few names carry more weight in Raleigh. Rivers started at quarterback for NC State from 2000 to 2003, made an NCAA-record 51 straight starts and finished with 13,484 passing yards and 95 touchdowns, still the program's career marks. He led the Wolfpack to four straight bowl games under Chuck Amato, including an 11-3 season in 2002, and the school retired his No. 17.

He went fourth overall in the 2004 NFL draft and played 17 seasons, all but one with the Chargers, making eight Pro Bowls. Last season he came out of retirement to start three games for the Indianapolis Colts, and in the offseason he interviewed for the Buffalo Bills' head coaching job before pulling out.

Then there is Gunner. Rivers' oldest son is a four-star quarterback in the 2027 class who committed to NC State in February after playing four seasons for his father at St. Michael. He is set to join the Wolfpack next season, which means a father and son could arrive in Raleigh together.

Rivers has said Gunner is a factor but not the deciding one. "I wouldn't call that the deciding factor. But certainly would be special," he said Friday.

The last word

This is one of the boldest hires of the cycle: a first-time college coach, chosen for his name, his ties to Raleigh and a quarterback's mind. Until the trustees sign off and NC State makes it official, it isn't done. But two weeks after Doeren's firing, the Wolfpack have their man, and he is the one they wanted from the start.

Sources: On3, A to Z Sports, WRAL, the Associated Press, Pack Insider, CBS Sports, ESPN, Sporting News and Undrafted reporting. More college football coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Micah Green/Gulf Coast Media.