The first two college football coaches to be fired this season are from the ACC and a former ACC member. That ... actually makes a lot of sense. Maryland's Mike Locksley was the first to be dismissed and then NC State decided it had had enough of Dave Doeren after 14 seasons.
NEWS: NC State has fired coach Dave Doeren. The firing comes in the wake of a loss at Stanford on Friday night. He went 98-74 over his 14 seasons there. NC State is 3-4 and 1-3 in ACC after the Stanford loss. pic.twitter.com/8K4Ej1qXgZ
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 24, 2026
The Wolfpack accrued a 98-74 record under Doeren's leadership but were cumulatively under .500 in conference play (52-57). The program was 3-4 to start 2026 and sent Doeren packing after two consecutive losses. In 10 bowl game appearances, his teams won just four of them and never participated in the ACC title game.
If the school wants to reinvent its football program, the next hire is going to be crucial. NC State needs a name that can spark excitement and has the necessary pull on the recruitment trail. Here are a few potential candidates that could do exactly that.
Philip Rivers
Quite literally minutes after Doeren was fired on Saturday, Rivers's name was thrust into the coaching search. The former Wolfpack quarterback wouldn't be the first to return to lead his alma mater. His only coaching experience is at the high school level, but that would make him rather privy to the modern recruitment landscape.
Rivers' son, Gunner, is already a four-star commit to NC State, so the familial connection could be an accelerator for a deal. The former long-time NFL star actually interviewed for the Buffalo Bills' vacant head coaching position but removed his name from consideration this past offseason, just weeks removed from quarterbacking the Indianapolis Colts in an emergency role. If there's going to be a guy with as weird a career path as that, it would be Rivers.
Shannon Dawson
Dawson is currently responsible for the high-octane pace and success of the Miami Hurricanes' offense. Since head coach Mario Cristobal hired him in 2023, the program has gone 30-12, finished as national runner-up in 2025 and is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Hurricanes are averaging an eye-popping 48.5 points and 559.5 yards per game under Dawson's leadership.
Should Miami finally win the ACC for the first time in the Cristobal era and make another run in the College Football Playoff, Dawson will have his fair share of phone calls from programs looking to make a change. NC State could face stiff competition, but that's all the more reason to make a bid as soon as possible. Dawson could also draw some of Miami's best young players away to Raleigh, which would boost NC State's prospects mightily.
Charles Huff
Sure, Huff has only been at Memphis for this year but that didn't stop him from making the jump there from Southern Mississippi the year prior. An offer from a Power Conference program is rare and certainly more lucrative. Huff has led the Tigers to a 6-2 start this year after going 7-5 with the Golden Eagles in 2025. He clearly knows how to maximize talent and could lead Memphis to its first CFP appearance should it run the table the rest of the season.
Memphis athletic director Ed Scott cited a reference from legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who Huff worked for from 2019-21, as the deal-sealer in his hiring. There's no way Saban wouldn't help Huff if a Power Conference program was interested in bringing him in after another successful season at a mid-major. Huff also knows his away around the recruiting trail and is known for digging up diamonds in the rough.
Brian Kelly
Just think about it. Kelly is already being considered by Maryland after Locksley's firing but the NC State opening is a much better job. The ACC is an easier conference to succeed in than the Big Ten and Kelly already has ties to the recruting trail in the South. He needs a reintroduction to the sport and going to College Park would only set him up for further humiliation.
NC State at least has a fighting chance in the ACC every year and Kelly's name alone could draw in a significant amount of transfers and recruits. Maryland also isn't known for investing enough in football to gain significant ground in the Big Ten. The focus is on basketball. NC State, also a basketball school, at least invests considerably more on the gridiron. Anyone who knows Kelly knows he follows the money.
Add us as a preferred source on Google