# Philip Rivers NC State coach: trustees vote Friday > Philip Rivers has agreed to coach NC State and trustees meet Friday to approve it. What is confirmed, what is not, and what changes for the Wolfpack. By Subhajit | 2026-11-13 | Sports | Savvy VibeZ Web page: https://savvyvibez.com/post/philip-rivers-nc-state-coach-trustees-vote-friday ## Key takeaways - NC State's trustees are expected to approve Philip Rivers as head football coach at Friday's meeting, ESPN reports. - The Athletic reports Rivers formally accepted on Nov. 11; no contract terms or announcement yet. - Rivers coached six seasons at an Alabama high school and would be the first major-conference hire from one since 1981, per The Athletic. - He replaces Dave Doeren, fired Oct. 24 after a 3-4 start. Philip Rivers is set to become NC State's next head football coach, and the trustees are expected to make it official on Friday, Nov. 13. According to ESPN, the board of trustees is expected to finalize the contract at its Friday meeting in Raleigh. As of Friday morning, NC State had not announced the hire, and no contract terms have been reported. ## Is Philip Rivers officially NC State's head coach? Not yet. The Athletic reported on Wednesday, Nov. 11, that Rivers has formally accepted the job, citing a source close to him. The Associated Press, also citing a person with knowledge of the situation, said the deal is headed to trustees for approval, and that under school protocol the board must approve it before it counts. WRAL reports the full board meets Friday morning, with a closed session at the end of the agenda and personnel contracts often voted on in open session afterward. So the practical answer for NC State fans is Friday. If the vote goes the way every report expects, an announcement should follow quickly. A local site, Pack Insider, says an introductory news conference could happen Monday, Nov. 16, but that date has not been confirmed. ## Why is a high school coach getting an ACC job? Because he is Philip Rivers, and because this is his school. He quarterbacked NC State from 2000 to 2003, and Fox Sports reports he threw for 13,484 yards with 95 touchdowns and finished seventh in the Heisman voting as a senior. The program retired his No. 17 in 2013. He then played 17 NFL seasons, all but one with the Chargers, retired after 2020, and last year returned briefly to start three games for the Indianapolis Colts, per ESPN. What he has not done is coach in college. Rivers is in his sixth season as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, whose season ended last Friday with a 42-35 home loss, according to WRAL. The Athletic notes he would be the first head coach hired by a major-conference program straight from a high school job since Notre Dame hired Gerry Faust before the 1981 season. He replaces Dave Doeren, who was fired Oct. 24 after a 3-4 start in his 14th season. Doeren leaves as the winningest coach in program history at 95-70, Fox Sports reports. NC State has not won an ACC football title since 1979, per WRAL. ## What happens next for the Wolfpack? The staff is the open question. WRAL spoke with Tim Donnelly of 99.9 The Fan, who expects heavy turnover once the hire is announced and said, "We don't know how good the Philip Rivers hire is, assuming it happens, until we see who he surrounds himself with." His point is that a first-time college head coach can lean on experienced coordinators, and that the staff he assembles will matter more than his résumé. Two other names to know. Russell Wilson, another former Wolfpack and NFL quarterback, interviewed for the job earlier this month and was also in discussions, according to ESPN. And Rivers' son Gunner, a four-star quarterback, is part of NC State's 2027 recruiting class, per Fox Sports. ## What is confirmed and what is not - **Reported by multiple outlets:** Rivers has agreed to the job and the deal goes to trustees on Friday. - **Not announced:** a trustee vote result, a contract length, salary, staff, or an introductory news conference time. - **Unverified:** the Monday, Nov. 16 date for a news conference. ## Our take This is a bet on goodwill, and a loud one. Rivers brings instant credibility with donors and fans, and The Athletic notes supporters hope he boosts the money NC State can spend on its roster. But goodwill does not recruit transfers or call plays. The hire will be judged on whether he lands an experienced offensive and defensive staff and a roster-building executive fast, and that part will not be clear until the first assistants are named. We will update this story when the trustees vote. ## Related reading - [College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams in 2027-28](/post/college-football-playoff-expands-to-24-teams-in-2027-28) - [CFP rankings Nov. 10: Georgia No. 1, full top 25](/post/cfp-rankings-nov-10-georgia-no-1-full-top-25) Picture credit: Photo: Jeffrey Beall (CC BY 4.0)