The former Wolfpack quarterback, who has been coaching high school football in Alabama, replaces Dave Doeren after a search that also included Russell Wilson.
Philip Rivers has agreed to a deal to take over as head coach at NC State, according to multiple reports, closing out a search that began when the school fired Dave Doeren following an October 23 loss to Stanford that ended his 13-year tenure.
Rivers, 44, is an NC State legend. He threw for 13,484 yards and 95 touchdowns across four seasons as the Wolfpack's starting quarterback, finished seventh in Heisman voting as a senior, and had his number 17 retired by the program in 2013. He went on to play 17 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Chargers, and interviewed for the Bills' head coaching job in January without getting hired.
Since retiring from the NFL, Rivers has coached at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, where his team was recently eliminated from the state playoffs with a loss to Glenwood School. He has never coached at the college level.
Russell Wilson, another former NFL quarterback with NC State ties, had also interviewed for the job before Rivers emerged as the clear choice in recent days.