NC State is finalizing a deal to make Philip Rivers its next head coach, sources told On3's Chris Low and Pete Nakos.
Rivers has begun reaching out to potential candidates for his coaching staff, according to Low and Nakos. The NC State board of trustees is reportedly scheduled to meet later this week to approve Rivers' contract.
The 44-year-old Rivers, who played for the Wolfpack from 2000-03, has coached at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, for the past six years. He returned to the NFL last season after a four-year hiatus to become the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback for three games.
NC State dismissed longtime head coach Dave Doeren in October after a 14-year run. Rivers quickly emerged as a potential candidate in the coaching search. The program also reportedly interviewed former quarterback Russell Wilson, who played for NC State from 2007-10 before transferring to Wisconsin.
The Wolfpack sit 4-5 this season after suffering a 41-3 blowout loss to Duke on Saturday. They haven't reached double-digit wins in a season since 2002, when Rivers was their quarterback. NC State is also 9-13 in ACC play over the last three years.
In February, Rivers' son, Gunner Rivers, committed to play at NC State in 2027. The four-star quarterback is in his senior season at St. Michael and is the 11th-ranked signal-caller in the 2027 class, according to ESPN 300.
NC State's roster costs between $22 million and $26 million this season, according to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and David Ubben. After a terrific sophomore campaign, quarterback CJ Bailey has thrown for 2,078 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions through nine games this year.
