Russell Wilson Interviews for NC State Head Coach Job as Search Turns to Former Quarterbacks

Russell Wilson interviewed on Tuesday for the head coaching job at NC State, the school where he played three seasons before going on to win a Super Bowl in the NFL. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the interview on Tuesday night, citing sources. NC State has not publicly confirmed the meeting.

Wilson starred for the Wolfpack from 2008 to 2010. He was the first freshman named first-team All-ACC at quarterback, and he left Raleigh ranked fourth in school history with 8,545 passing yards and 93 total touchdowns. He transferred to Wisconsin for his final college season, then won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson retired after spending the 2025 season with the New York Giants and joined CBS Sports as an analyst on The NFL Today. He has no coaching experience at any level, and he had not publicly said he wanted a head coaching job before this week. He did return to Raleigh in March 2025 to speak to the NC State team.

A vacancy opened by a midseason firing

NC State fired Dave Doeren on Oct. 24, one day after a 31-28 loss at Stanford dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4, with a 1-3 record in the ACC. Doeren coached the program for 14 seasons and left with a school-record 98 wins. Todd Goebbel is serving as interim head coach for the rest of the season. Athletic director Boo Corrigan is running the search, and former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, who played linebacker at NC State, is helping the school with it.

Two famous alumni, one job

Wilson is the second former Wolfpack quarterback at the center of the search. Philip Rivers, who played at NC State from 2000 to 2003, has been the focus of the search since the job opened. ESPN reported on Oct. 31 that Rivers was in serious discussions with the school, though no agreement was close. On Tuesday, CBS Sports reported continued momentum between NC State and Rivers and said the two sides were set to talk again soon, with nothing final.

Rivers, 44, is in his sixth season as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where his record is 48-20 and his son Gunner, a four-star quarterback, has committed to NC State. Asked about the college job last week, Rivers told AL.com: "NC State's special to me," and added, "you never say never, but there's nothing imminent."

Wilson's interview gives the school a second high-risk, high-reward option. Neither man has coached in college or the NFL. Rivers has run a high school program for six seasons. Wilson would be moving from a television studio to a Power Four sideline in one step, and a hire would put him across the field from Bill Belichick of North Carolina in the rivalry game that closes each regular season. The school has announced no finalists and no timetable. What is clear is that a search that started with one famous alumnus now has two, and the most decorated quarterback in program history is no longer the only former player in the room.