The Wolfpack turned to their former quarterback, who played 51 games for the school before an 18-season NFL career.
North Carolina State announced Friday that Philip Rivers will be its new head football coach, bringing the Pro Bowl quarterback back to the program where he began.
Rivers played for the Wolfpack from 2000 through 2003 before heading to the NFL, where he spent 18 seasons. He started three games last year for the Indianapolis Colts, apparently closing out a long playing career before jumping straight into coaching.
"I am humbled and honored to be the next head football coach at NC State University," Rivers said. "In many ways, I feel like I'm coming home. This is where it all began for me as an 18-year-old kid from Alabama, and now to return to this great place as head coach is beyond words."
He added that he knows the job will take work, but said he and the program are ready for it, pointing back to the 51 games he played for the Wolfpack as proof of what he's willing to put in. The move makes Rivers the latest former NFL standout to try his hand running a college program, a path with a mixed track record for players who trade helmets for headsets.