The North Carolina State football team is looking for a new head coach. The Wolfpack fired Dave Doeren in the midst of a bad season. It appears that former school quarterback Philip Rivers is very much in the mix to replace Doeren.
“It’s definitely more than smoke,” an industry source said to The Athletic about Rivers getting that job.
Rivers played for NC State in college, before going on to play in the NFL. Rivers' son is also currently committed to play for the Wolfpack.
The legendary quarterback has never been a college head coach. There are many reasons though why NC State is so interested in Rivers.
“Rivers’ name and reputation could also help raise a lot of money to boost NC State’s commitment to football, which is a bigger factor in a coaching search now than it was five or certainly 10 years ago. Not only could he rally the donors, but he could also give the fan base a much-needed jolt,” The Athletic reported.
NC State has plenty of candidates to choose from
Other names are also getting mentioned for the NC State job. This season, the Wolfpack are 3-4 overall. The squad is 1-3 in ACC play.
Article Continues Below“If NC State wants to go for a more proven head coach, New Mexico’s Jason Eck is the hottest name on the market. The 49-year-old Eck, a former Big Ten offensive lineman at Wisconsin, did an amazing job at his first stop, Idaho, and now has New Mexico in the hunt for the Group of 6’s spot in the College Football Playoff,” the outlet reported.
The Wolfpack parted ways with Doeren after he spent more than a decade at the school. Doeren blamed the transfer portal for some of the reason why his team struggled this season.
NC State next plays California on Saturday at 12:00 ET.