Sam Darnold may be the reigning Super Bowl champion quarterback after his Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX this past February.
But there will always be only one first, and for the Seahawks the first quarterback to lead Seattle to a Super Bowl victory was and remains Russell Wilson. On Feb. 2, 2014, Wilson propelled the Seahawks to a 43-8 destruction of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Now, according to a report published Tuesday, Wilson, who threw his final NFL pass in 2025, has his sights set on a new and surprising career move.
Wilson interviewed Tuesday for the NC State head coaching job, becoming the second former Wolfpack quarterback in a search already featuring Philip Rivers, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
A Wilson hire would eventually put him on the opposite sideline from Bill Belichick, the coach who beat him in Super Bowl XLIX, in the rivalry game that closes every regular season.
NC State fired head coach Dave Doeren on Oct. 24, one day after a Friday night 31-28 loss at Stanford dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4.
Rivers, 44, is in “serious discussions” about the job, according to ESPN, though no deal is close. He has coached at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Alabama, since 2021 and has never coached in college. The eight-time Pro Bowler came out of retirement last season to make three starts for the Indianapolis Colts. His son Gunner is a four-star quarterback who committed to NC State in February.
Russell Wilson’s Path From NC State to Coaching Candidate
Wilson started at quarterback for the Wolfpack from 2008 to 2010, graduated in three years and was released from his scholarship in spring 2011 to pursue baseball. Coach Tom O’Brien had pressed him on his commitment to football.
“Kinda kicked me out of NC State a little bit,” Wilson said in an interview for HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, as quoted by NBC Sports.
Wilson voiced affection for the school in 2013, too. “I love NC State,” he said, as quoted by ESPN in 2013. A year later, NC State honored his jersey at a spring game.
Seattle drafted him in the third round in 2012. Wilson, 37, finished a 14-year career with 46,966 passing yards, 353 touchdown passes and 114 interceptions. He won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos, earned 10 Pro Bowl selections and later played for the Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. Wilson led Seattle to the playoffs eight times and won the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
A 5-foot-11 Richmond, Virginia, native, he is the shortest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
He retired in June to join CBS Sports as an analyst on The NFL Today, a panel that includes Bill Cowher. Wilson had considered returning for a 15th season as a backup to Geno Smith with the New York Jets before choosing the broadcast desk.
Wilson has no coaching experience at any level, and he has not publicly said he wants a college or NFL head coaching job. He did return to Raleigh when he spoke to the NC State team in March 2025.
NC State vs. UNC — A Wilson-Belichick Rematch?
NC State plays North Carolina every year, and the Wolfpack and Tar Heels meet Nov. 28 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. NC State has won five straight against the Tar Heels, including a 42-19 victory last November.
UNC head coach Bill Belichick won six Super Bowls with the Patriots and now coaches the Tar Heels in his second season. The team went 4-8 in his debut year, closing with a loss at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. In Super Bowl XLIX, New England edged Seattle 28-24 when Malcolm Butler intercepted Wilson’s pass at the 1-yard line.
The Nov. 28 game will come under interim coach Todd Goebbel, who runs the Wolfpack through the end of 2026. That pushes any Wilson-Belichick sideline reunion to 2027 at the earliest.
Athletic director Boo Corrigan brought in Cowher to help with the search, according to WFMD. No hire has been announced.
Seahawks Super Bowl Winner Russell Wilson Eyes Surprising New Career Move