While Jason Witten is getting his hands dirty at Oklahoma, Philip Rivers is about to get thrown into the deep end at NC State

It didn’t attract much attention in January when Oklahoma added one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history to its coaching staff, but Jason Witten wasn’t there to bring a dash of celebrity to the Sooners’ sideline. First and foremost, he was there to learn. “Like anybody, I had goals and aspirations as a coach and was starting a little late because I played so long,” Witten told reporters on Saturday. “It would be a huge regret of mine if I didn’t take a bite at it.”For five years after retiring from pro football, Witten coached at the private school outside of Dallas where his sons played, an experience he wouldn’t have traded for anything. But when it came time to get serious about coaching at a higher level, Witten did not angle for a glamorous head coaching job like some former NFL players who have come into college football lately. Instead, starting out as Oklahoma’s tight ends coach would give him a chance to impart his lifetime of expertise at the position while learning from the inside how a college program really works. Nobody expected that by November, Witten would end up calling plays.“He’s got all the right stuff, all the right qualities,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said after firing offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and promoting Witten to take his place for the rest of the season. “His motives are pure. He loves the game, he loves the players.”Witten’s career as a play caller got off to an excellent start last weekend as Oklahoma pulled off a 23-7 upset at Florida, putting an offense on the field that looked far more functional than what it had been for most of the season. And even though we still don’t know much yet about Witten’s identity as a coach, even a one-game sample makes him significantly more qualified than another former NFL great who is about to become the head coach at North Carolina State. Oklahoma Sooners players celebrate with coach Jason Witten after their win over Texas on Oct. 10. (Gunnar Word/Getty Images)Gunnar Word via Getty ImagesAt some point this week, NC State is expected to finalize the hire of Philip Rivers, the 44-year-old Wolfpack alum who, like Witten, immediately went to coach high school ball after his playing career was over. But unlike Witten, Rivers isn’t going to spend a single day on someone else’s staff before taking over a job with pressures and responsibilities that even a 17-year NFL career could not have prepared him for. Assuming the deal gets done, the track record for what Rivers and NC State are trying to pull off isn’t good. Whether you’re talking about prominent high school coaches like Gerry Faust (Notre Dame) or Tony Sanchez (UNLV) going directly to college head coaching jobs or a famous former NFL player like Trent Dilfer taking over at UAB, it’s been one failure after another for FBS schools that hired coaches without any college experience. Maybe Rivers will be the exception. After playing quarterback in 247 NFL games, nobody doubts his understanding of the sport. He also has an undying passion for NC State that only an alum could feel in their soul. It’s not surprising that, as Dave Doeren struggled to start this season, boosters and administrators talked themselves into the idea that Rivers is uniquely suited for the challenge of making NC State relevant in the ACC.But if you’re an NC State fan looking at the situation with sober eyes, don’t you wish Rivers had taken the path Witten is on right now? Whether Witten will prove to be an effective coach over the long haul is anyone’s guess, but at least he’s going about it the right way. College football programs are sprawling, complicated organizations that require the head coach to be a spokesman, salesman, fundraiser, recruiter, culture-setter and strategist. One day you’re being asked to hobnob with a booster and secure a seven-figure donation, the next you’re on the phone with a player’s parent trying to explain why they aren’t getting many snaps or meeting with an academic advisor trying to keep someone eligible. Philip Rivers came out of retirement last year to play quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)ASSOCIATED PRESSThe learning curve is steep — and that’s before you’ve even stepped foot on the field to run a practice. Witten did not start off with a prime play-calling job at Oklahoma, but the willingness to put in the work and get his hands dirty will serve him well for whatever’s next whether that’s earning the permanent offensive coordinator job or, as some have already speculated, eventually moving on to the NFL.Merely having one year to observe how a big-time college program recruits and deals with NIL issues is a massive advantage over someone coming in straight from the high school ranks to the head coaching chair. “He’s a fantastic mentor, teammate, and he sees the game with a very unique lens in my opinion,” Venables said  “He’s a really effective leader and communicator and his passion and energy and details, his readiness, his toughness, all of those things resonate in the locker room. He loves the journey of the guys, he understands it intimately and that’s what makes him an effective coach who does a nice job of making people better with his impact and influence.”Rivers undoubtedly has many of those same qualities. After playing so long in the NFL and earning roughly $244 million over his career, Rivers could have done anything he wanted with his life. He chose to give back to the sport — including developing his son, Gunner, a four-star recruit who will join him at NC State. Accomplished athletes generally do not have a problem with confidence. Rivers probably thinks he’s ready for the job he’s about to take on. But without at least a year to experience how a college staff operates, he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. Rivers, of course, has little choice but to take the risk now. Timing is everything in sports, and if he passed on the chance this year, there’s no guarantee it would ever come around again. But when the 2027 season starts, we will know almost nothing about him as a college coach. Rivers himself won’t know much more than that. All coaching hires are a gamble, but NC State is at the blackjack table hitting on 16 with this one. Witten, conversely, is going to leave Oklahoma at some point with real experience running an offense against SEC opponents. Time will tell whether he’s a future head coach, but it’s a good thing that his reputation as a player no longer matters. Witten’s coaching résumé is now on film for everyone to see. “Tonight was pretty special,” he said after the Florida win. “In all the years I’ve been around football, this may be the greatest moment I’ve had.”It was so sweet for Witten because, after being at Oklahoma for 10 1/2 months, he now understands how difficult it is to coach college football. The Sooners started the season with high hopes of contending for an SEC title but struggled badly on offense, to the point where Venables had little choice but to make a change. Rivers is going to experience those highs and lows without any protective buffer or time to get his feet wet. From Day 1, everything that happens in the program will all land on his lap and he’ll wish he had the chance that Witten is getting now.