Philip Rivers’ high school season ended Friday night, and the question of what comes next grew louder with it. St. Michael Catholic lost 42-35 to Glenwood in the first round of the Alabama playoffs, and Rivers admitted afterward it might have been his last game on that sideline. Whatever he does next, NC State is waiting. The Wolfpack fired Dave Doeren on October 24, and nearly every report says Rivers is the man the school wants.
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The game itself was close to the end. St. Michael was tied 28-28 early in the fourth quarter when Glenwood scored and recovered the onside kick. The Cardinals cut it to a one-score game inside three minutes, but Glenwood got another onside kick and ran out the clock. Rivers was emotional afterward and said his focus was on the locker room, not on Raleigh. He confirmed that NC State officials came to Fairhope on Wednesday, including athletic director Boo Corrigan.
“Yeah, no, we met and visited, and I’ve known some of those guys for a while now,” Rivers said according to an X post by Brian Murphy. “It was good to visit with them, but there’s really nothing else, nothing else to report at this point. It could be [the next step]. And I think that potential next step would involve all those things you referenced. But now’s not the time, and there is nothing else at this point. But again, we’ll just have to see.”
NC State plays Duke on Saturday under interim coach Todd Goebbel at 4-4 with a coach still to be named. The Wolfpack won its first game under Goebbel, 31-10 over Cal. Rivers’ path to this point has been unusual as he starred at NC State from 2000 to 2003 and started 51 straight games. He played 18 NFL seasons, threw for 63,984 yards, and retired in 2021 to coach high school ball. Rivers came back last year at 44 to start three games for the Indianapolis Colts, and later interviewed for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job.
Six years ago, St. Michael didn’t even have a football stadium. The program has come a long way since then, with the facilities standing as one of the clearest signs of what he has built. He even spent Friday morning mowing and lining the field himself, taking pride in the work that has gone into the school.
“It’s been good,” Rivers said, according to an X post by Ben Thomas. “We didn’t have a stadium a few years ago. And so it’s been good thus far. If it were to be the last time out here, shoot, there’s a lot to be, a lot was accomplished. Certainly, if that were to be the case, it will be left better than it was six years ago.”
The program was in rough shape before he arrived, going 5-25 over the three seasons before he took over, with no playoff appearances. Rivers finished at 48-21 with six playoff wins and back-to-back state semifinal trips. The Cardinals ended this season 6-4. Those who have watched him say the draw is simple: kids want to play for him, and he didn’t have to recruit anyone to get them there.
Gunner Rivers, a four-star quarterback and NC State commit, came back Friday from a knee injury and threw multiple touchdown passes. He ends his high school career with more than 10,800 passing yards and 119 passing touchdowns. Rivers said coaching his son wouldn’t be the deciding factor but “would be special.”
The Athletic reported that Rivers has been mapping out a staff, and On3 says he has made calls, with Alabama recruiting director Jatavis Sanders mentioned as a possible general manager. Russell Wilson also interviewed Tuesday.
The NC State Board of Trustees meets November 12 and 13 and has to approve a contract. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic has warned that no high school coach has made this jump with success, so the hire carries real risk. However, the timing raises an open question, as a deal could come as early as next week.