Could North Carolina State end up choosing between two of its former quarterbacks?
Phillip Rivers and Russell Wilson — both Wolfpack alums who enjoyed long NFL careers in the 2010s — have emerged as potential candidates for NC State’s open head-coaching position. Reports emerged Saturday that Rivers is a target for the job, and ESPN said Tuesday that the university has interviewed Wilson.
Wilson spent his first three college seasons at NC State, finishing his junior year with 3,563 passing yards and 28 touchdowns while helping the Pack to a 9-4 record. He then transferred to Wisconsin for one season before the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. In his second NFL season he guided Seattle to its first Super Bowl title and returned the following year for another Super Bowl appearance, this time falling to New England.
After his Seattle tenure, Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos following the 2022 season and later had single-season stops with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants before stepping away from playing to pursue broadcasting. He has no formal coaching experience. Rivers, by contrast, has done some coaching at the high-school level — he’s worked with his son Gunner at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama.
Both men would offer NC State a prominent, recognizable figurehead, which can be valuable in today’s college-football environment. The Wolfpack dismissed Dave Doeren last week after 14 seasons in charge; offensive coordinator Todd Goebbel is serving as interim and led NC State to a 31-10 victory over Cal on Saturday. The program is conducting a national search and could ultimately decide between two of its former signal-callers — a storyline intensified by the fact that Rivers came out on top in both of their professional head-to-head meetings.
Fan Take: NFL fans should care because hiring a high-profile ex-player like Rivers or Wilson would draw national attention, boost recruiting and could speed the trend of former pros moving into college coaching. It’s also a reminder that celebrity and name recognition can be as influential as traditional coaching experience in today’s college-sports landscape.
Source: www.foxsports.com
