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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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NC State officially hired program legend Philip Rivers to be the team's next head coach on Friday. Rivers has reportedly signed a five-year contract worth around $18.25 million to lead the Wolfpack, a deal that keeps him in Raleigh, where he has his No. 17 jersey retired, through the 2031 season.
Rivers replaces Dave Doeren, who was fired on Oct. 24 after coaching at NC State for 14 years, leaving with a 98-74 overall record. The Wolfpack haven't won an ACC title since 1979 and will be hoping for a more successful run under Rivers.
On Saturday's episode of CBS Sports' "College Football Today," former college coach and analyst Rick Neuheisel explained how NC State's athletic director Boo Corrigan ultimately landed on Rivers as the guy.
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"It's a celebrity hire, and so there's some concern is there enough know-how. Well, I will tell you that Philip Rivers was interviewed by the Buffalo Bills earlier this year to be their head coach. Obviously, when you've played quarterback as long as he has, you know both sides of the ball. It will be interesting to see who he hires," Neuheisel said. "But what Boo Corrigan's thinking, the North Carolina State athletic director, is this is a guy who can resonate with our fans and our boosters, most importantly with our affluent boosters, so that we can get some money and build this program."
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Hiring Rivers is a bold move, not because of his lack of football knowledge, but because of his lack of experience as a head coach. Typically, to even be considered for a Power 4 job like NC State, you've had to have at least some level of experience coaching at the collegiate level, whether that be in a coordinator, skills position coach, or an assistant role of some sort.
Rivers has none of those, with his only prior coaching experience being at the high school level, coaching St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, from 2021 to 2026. To give you an idea, some of the other names that were being linked to the job were Duke head coach Manny Diaz, Memphis' Charles Huff, New Mexico's Jason Eck, and Miami's offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, among others.
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Despite the lack of experience, there are some obvious advantages to hiring Rivers. He's arguably the most recognizable face in the history of NC State football, shattering ACC passing records during his four-year run with the Wolfpack, and having that type of name recognition helps with recruiting, NIL, and backing from the fans. North Carolina also produces a solid amount of football talent, and Rivers can help keep local blue-chip prospects in-state. His eldest son, Gunner Rivers, has also already committed to NC State as a consensus four-star recruit in the 2027 class.
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