Before he became a renowned quarterback in the NFL, Russell Wilson played college football for the NC State Wolfpack before he moved to Wisconsin for his final college football season. Now, he could be heading back to the field with the redshirts. But this time, he won’t be the one throwing the ball and scoring touchdowns.  

“Sources: former Super Bowl champion QB Russell Wilson interviewed today for the head coaching job at North Carolina State, where he played three seasons,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced on X. “NC State now has two former NFL greats who starred there, Wilson and Philip Rivers, as prominent head-coaching candidates.”  

Back on October 24, 2026, NC State parted ways with former head coach Dave Doeren after a 3-4 start. For now, they have interim head coach Todd Goebbel calling the plays for the Wolfpack. But the team needs someone like Wilson to lead the way. 

After all, his 8,545 passing yards rank the third highest in NC State history, and 76 touchdown passes are the second-best in the school. He finished his college career in Raleigh second only to Philip Rivers in the Wolfpack record book with 682 completions. Back in 2009, he threw 379 times without a single interception. It’s worth noting that Wilson was also the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year. 

In the NFL, Wilson spent 14 seasons and played 205 games. He completed 3,951 passes for 46,966 yards and scored 353 touchdowns. He also rushed for 5,568 yards in 1,042 attempts to score 31 touchdowns. Furthermore, he helped the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII with a 43-8 win over the Broncos. 

While Wilson has no experience as a collegiate football coach, according to ESPN, Rivers is in his sixth season as a coach at St. Michael Catholic High School, Fairhope, Alabama. And he has already led the high school boys to their state playoff semifinals in the last two seasons. For now, Rivers wants to wrap up the current season at high school before becoming a coach at NC State. 

Meanwhile, Wilson has already moved into broadcasting, joining CBS Sports as an analyst on “The NFL Today” panel after retiring as a quarterback earlier this year.

Russell Wilson welcomed the transition into a broadcasting role with a heartfelt message

Earlier in June 2026, the famed quarterback shared his emotional take on becoming a broadcaster for CBS Sports. While he didn’t really specify the reason behind his retirement from the gridiron, he certainly spent about three minutes thanking the sport, his family, and the Seahawks. 

“You’ve been my joy, my peace, my safe place,” Wilson said, offering high praise for football. “You taught me discipline, faith, and resilience. How to keep believing no matter the circumstances. You’ve given me purpose and opportunity. Opportunity to inspire others and create change, to continue to evolve the game, not just for me, but for the next generation of ballers. You’ve also given me the greatest gift of all: family.

“As I enter this next chapter with CBS Sports and The NFL Today, I’m so blessed to continue doing what I love most: being around the greatest game in the world. … I thank you, football. I am forever grateful. Love, 3” 

However, not everyone seemed to like Wilson in the new broadcasting role. A few fans took to social media and claimed that Wilson seemed uncomfortable while commentating. Some fans even found him sounding phony. With all that talk rising in the NFL world, becoming a head coach could be the best option for him. 

If Wilson lands the job, trading the CBS broadcast desk for the Raleigh sidelines could be the ultimate second act to his storied career.