Russell Wilson interviewed for the vacant head coaching job at NC State, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter’s report Tuesday. The 37-year-old former Super Bowl champion retired from the NFL in June and is barely two months into a new role as a CBS studio analyst.
NC State fired head coach Dave Doeren on Oct. 24 after the Wolfpack started the season 3-4. Athletic director Boo Corrigan is reportedly focused on two names with deep ties to the program: Wilson and former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers.
Wilson’s history with NC State is complicated. He enrolled in Raleigh in 2008 and played through 2010, but then-coach Tom O’Brien chose Mike Glennon as the starter after Wilson refused to give up baseball. Wilson transferred to Wisconsin, won a Big Ten title, and was picked in the third round of the NFL Draft by Seattle, where he built a Hall of Fame career. Before leaving Raleigh, he had accounted for 93 total touchdowns for the Wolfpack.
Over 14 NFL seasons, Wilson threw for nearly 47,000 career passing yards and 353 touchdown passes, earned 10 Pro Bowl selections, won a Super Bowl ring, and received the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
Rivers, 44, is also in the mix. He has spent the last six seasons coaching St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama to consecutive state semifinal appearances. Rivers reportedly told NC State he wants to finish his current high school season before considering the job.
Neither candidate has coached a single snap of college or pro football. Hiring Wilson in particular would be a significant gamble given his complete lack of coaching experience. But college football today runs on NIL money and roster management, and Wilson’s name recognition could help NC State lock down booster support regardless of his sideline résumé.
The pursuit of Wilson signals that NC State is prioritizing national attention and fundraising power in this hire. Whether he can actually coach a game remains an open question.
