Philip Rivers is about to go back to where it all started.

NC State's Board of Trustees is expected to finalize a contract on Friday that would make the former NFL quarterback the Wolfpack's next head football coach, according to reports on Wednesday.

People close to the search said they had not been told the deal was done. They expect Friday's meeting to make it official.

A high school coach for now

Rivers, 44, has never coached in college. He is in his sixth season at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where he built the program from scratch and reached the state semifinals in 2024 and 2025.

He told NC State he wanted to finish the high school season first. St. Michael's season ended last Friday.

Rivers became the favorite soon after the school fired Dave Doeren on Oct. 24. Russell Wilson, another former Wolfpack and NFL quarterback, was also in talks about the job.

A Wolfpack legend

Rivers played at NC State from 2000 to 2003. He threw for 13,484 yards and 95 touchdowns, setting nearly every school and ACC passing record.

He led the Wolfpack to four straight bowl games under coach Chuck Amato and won three of them. Amato died last month at 80.

His son Gunner committed to NC State in February. Gunner threw for 10,847 yards and 119 touchdowns at St. Michael before a knee injury ended his high school career.

NFL résumé

Rivers spent all but one of his 17 NFL seasons with the Chargers before retiring after 2020. Last season he came out of retirement to start three games for the Indianapolis Colts after injuries hit their quarterback room.

In January he interviewed for the Buffalo Bills' head coaching job before pulling his name out.