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Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson reportedly in the mix for NC State head-coaching job
Russell Wilson has reportedly interviewed for NC State’s vacant head-coaching job, weeks after retiring from the NFL and shortly after starting work as a CBS studio analyst. The move would bring the former Wolfpack player back to the programme that he left for Wisconsin, and would be a high-profile appointment for a team seeking a new coach.
NC State dismissed Dave Doeren after the team began the season 3-4. Athletic director Boo Corrigan is also reportedly considering former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, who has coached high school football in Alabama and wants to finish the season there first. Wilson, 37, has no coaching experience, but his college and professional record includes 93 total touchdowns at NC State, a Super Bowl win, 353 NFL touchdown passes and nearly 47,000 passing yards.
In short
- Russell Wilson reportedly interviewed for NC State’s head-coaching vacancy.
- Philip Rivers is also reported to be under consideration.
- Wilson has no coaching experience but brings a high profile.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Wilson’s experience at the highest levels of football, leadership reputation and strong connection to NC State could help attract players, energise supporters and give the programme a prominent new direction. A coach need not have held the job before if he can assemble experienced assistants, learn quickly and communicate a compelling vision.
The case against
Leading a college programme requires recruiting, staff management and day-to-day coaching skills that Wilson has not yet demonstrated, and his playing achievements do not by themselves show he can build a team. Hiring him would be a substantial gamble for a programme seeking stability after a poor start, especially while he is also beginning a broadcasting role.
Explained simply
NC State’s Wolfpack are the athletics teams of North Carolina State University, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school competes in the top tier of US college sport, where football head coaches oversee recruiting, training and matches, and can become prominent figures on campus.
Russell Wilson played quarterback for NC State before transferring to the University of Wisconsin, then spent years in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. He has not coached before; Philip Rivers, another former NFL quarterback under consideration, has coached high school football.
The job became vacant after NC State dismissed Dave Doeren. The appointment matters because the head coach will shape the programme’s direction, and choosing a former player without coaching experience would be an unusual route for the university.