NC State coaching candidates: Wolfpack legend Philip Rivers, Dan Mullen among options to replace Dave Doeren

Rivers’ son, Gunner, is a top recruit who is committed to NC State in the 2027 recruiting cycle

The North Carolina State job is the second Power Four coaching position to come open after the Wolfpack fired longtime coach Dave Doeren on Saturday following a dismal performance in a loss at Stanford on Friday night. Doeren's legacy at NC State stands as one of the program's best coaches, but after going 98-73 in 14 seasons with the Wolfpack, the program decided to make a change. The million-dollar question in Raleigh is who will take over as they look to become a threat in the ACC again. When our CBS Sports insiders began canvassing the landscape for coaching candidates immediately after Doeren was fired, the initial hot list features three current head coaches, three hot coordinators …

and NC State legend Philip Rivers. Rivers would be a fascinating choice given he has no collegiate coaching experience, but after a long career in the NFL, he's been coaching at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama, since 2021. His star player at St. Michael is his son, Gunner, a 4-star quarterback in the 2027 recruiting class who just so happens to be committed to NC State. Hiring Rivers would require a leap of faith for the Wolfpack, but when Rivers came out of retirement for the Indianapolis Colts last year, there was plenty of scuttlebutt about his potential as a future