Philip Rivers has had an unusual connection to the Indianapolis Colts. He played for the team during the 2020 season, leading it to the playoffs, and retired afterward. His Colts career took an unexpected turn in 2025, when he returned late in the season after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending injury. Rivers did not win a game during his comeback, but his return gave the veteran quarterback another chance to pursue a playoff berth.
Rivers is best known in the NFL for his time with the Chargers, but he also left a lasting mark at NC State. He starred for the Wolfpack, which retired his number before he entered the NFL as the No. 4 overall pick in 2004. Now, Rivers is returning to his alma mater as its head football coach. The news was reported earlier in the week and officially announced by the school on Friday.
## Rivers Moves Into College Coaching
Before rejoining the Colts in 2025, Rivers was coaching at an Alabama high school. His return to the NFL was a brief interruption in a coaching career that is now taking him to the FBS level.
Rivers arrives at NC State with strong ties to the program and experience from his long NFL career. His reputation as a former Wolfpack star may help him earn the support of players and fans, though coaching college athletes will bring a different set of challenges.
NC State fired longtime head coach Dave Doeren earlier in the season. Doeren never led the Wolfpack to more than nine wins in a season, and the team did not reach the top tier of contention in the ACC or nationally during his tenure. Rivers will now be tasked with helping the program regain prominence.
## Rivers’ Colts Legacy
Rivers spent one season with Indianapolis in 2020, guiding the Colts through the COVID-affected season and into the playoffs. He was initially brought in as a short-term solution at quarterback. The team has not returned to the postseason since, and calling him out of retirement in 2025 underscored the challenges facing the organization’s quarterback position.
Rivers’ next challenge is to build NC State into a more competitive program. His coaching career could also create a future connection with the Colts: the team may one day look to him for insight on a Wolfpack player entering the NFL Draft.
