Five Candidates For the NC State Football Head Coaching Job

Former head coach Dave Doeren was in place in Raleigh for 14 seasons, which felt like an eternity in today’s modern college football. The Wolfpack are due for a big change with this next coaching hire.

This program is a destination for a coach who is up for the challenge of navigating this NIL world. NC State is an attractive choice, especially considering its loyal fan base, great facilities, and an administration that is ready for this program to turn a page.

We’ll share our wish list for who NC State should target in its coaching search, in no particular order.

Former NC State and NFL great Philip Rivers is the biggest name being floated out there right now. As a player, Rivers was a big part of the reason why State was competitive during his time as quarterback with the Wolfpack.

He led NC State to an 11-3 record in 2002, and the program hasn’t reached those same heights since his time.

He knows what winning looks like and would give this program a tremendous boost. Rivers is the current head coach and OC at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.

A Philip Rivers hiring would be extra special considering his son, Gunner, is a 4-star quarterback in the Class of 2027 who is already committed to play for NC State.  A father and son pairing for the Wolfpack would be wild.

Talk about a full-circle moment for Rivers if he were hired at NC State, especially considering the recent passing of former mentor and NC State great Chuck Amato.

Current Duke Head Coach Manny Diaz has strong ties to NC State. Diaz coached linebackers and safeties at NC State under former head coach Chuck Amato.

Diaz helped State’s defense finish as the top-ranked unit in the country in 2004. Diaz’s defense limited opposing offenses to 220 yards per game.

He’s familiar with the changing landscape of college football and life within the ACC, coming from head coaching stops at Miami and now Duke.

Diaz is 44-26 as a head coach.

Current Syracuse Head Coach Fran Brown is only in his third season with the Orange, but he may be ready for a change of scenery.

Brown is known for being one of the best college football recruiters around. He is a former national recruiter of the year, and as a Georgia assistant, he was responsible for helping the Bulldogs reach a No. 1-ranked recruiting class in 2024.

He won 10 games in his first season as a head coach for Syracuse, which is something State fans haven’t seen happen in Raleigh in 24 years.

Current Missouri Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz has been in COMO for 8 seasons, and he’s done yeoman’s work for the Tigers. He’s amassed a 51-31 record for the program and has even won 10 games twice for Mizzou.

This season, Drinkwitz has guided the #22 Tigers to a 5-2 record, and they are currently in the mix for an SEC title run.

Drinkwitz has ties to the state of North Carolina, having served as App State’s head coach in 2019.

Current Memphis Head Coach Charles Huff Jr. needs to be on NC State’s radar. He’s amassed an impressive 72-45 record over his 6-year career coaching at Marshall, Southern Mississippi, and Memphis.

As a head coach, he guided Marshall to 10 wins and a Sun Belt Conference championship in 2024. It was the program’s first-ever Sun Belt crown.

He’s had an even longer career as an assistant in college football and briefly in the NFL.

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ANDRE CHERRY

Andre Cherry began covering college football in 2010 through his CherryPickin podcast network. Andre originally hails from Chicagoland and is a proud Illinois State alum. He has lived in Philadelphia since 2014 and has previously covered Temple Football. Andre has a broadcast journalism background and got his start in media at WSCR the Score. He’s written for Fox Sports, Bridgehead Media, cinéSPEAK Journal, and IPMF.