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Good morning, I'm Dan Gartland. It probably shouldn't come as a shock that yesterday marked only the third occasion in MLB history that both Cy Young Award winners were unanimous selections.
In today's SI:AM:
👋 Carrick dismissed at Man U
✅ Week 10 NFL predictions
🌍 American football across Europe
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EPL icons in hot water
The most storied brand in English football is facing a serious crisis.
Manchester United sacked manager Michael Carrick today, just days after a 4–4 draw with Aston Villa sent United tumbling to 18th in the Premier League standings.
Carrick, a former United midfielder, stepped in as interim manager in January following the departure of Ruben Amorim. The club sat in seventh place at the time of his appointment, and Carrick steered the team to a 12–3–2 record over the remainder of the campaign to finish third. That strong run earned him the permanent managerial role.
However, this season has been nothing short of a catastrophe. United stands as the only Premier League side yet to win more than a single match. Their solitary victory came against newly promoted Ipswich Town on Aug. 30. Since that result, the Red Devils have managed five draws and suffered three defeats in league action, leaving them just one point clear of the bottom spot.
Watching United hover in the relegation zone is a startling sight, but with barely a quarter of the season gone, there remains ample opportunity to reverse course. Supporters of the U.S. men's national team should be keeping a close eye on who United selects to steady the ship.
According to several reports, United has set its sights on USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino to fill the role. Pochettino recently penned a new deal to lead the U.S. through the 2030 World Cup, though his contract contains a buyout clause that could allow him to take the United position.
This is as opportune a moment as any for United to make a managerial change. The Premier League is currently on hold for an international break, and United won't return to action until Nov. 22. That window would give Pochettino time to settle into the role before attempting to steer the club away from danger. The unfortunate news is that the first fixture after the break is an away trip to Liverpool.
I don't think this is going to work
On the subject of former players returning to coach the clubs they once represented, North Carolina State is reportedly set to appoint Philip Rivers as its next head football coach.
The appointment had been circulating as a rumor for some time, but it now appears to be approaching the finish line. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported that Rivers "has formally accepted" the position, while ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Pete Thamel noted that the university's board of trustees will convene on Friday to finalize Rivers's contract.
Rivers, 44, was a four-year starter for the Wolfpack before embarking on an 18-season NFL career. He came out of a four-year retirement last season to start three games for the Colts after Indianapolis lost two quarterbacks to injury.
Rivers is widely regarded as the greatest player in NC State history, wrapping up his college career with 13,484 passing yards and 95 touchdowns. However, his coaching résumé is extremely thin. He currently serves as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, where he guided the program to state semifinal appearances in 2024 and '25. Beyond that, his coaching experience is virtually nonexistent.
The track record of former NFL stars stepping into head coaching roles with little to no high-level coaching background is far from encouraging. Deion Sanders leveraged his celebrity status to attract elite recruits to Jackson State and found some success, yet he's managed just one winning season at the FBS level. Trent Dilfer transitioned from high school coaching to the head job at UAB and posted a 9–21 record across three seasons. Eddie George parlayed a single FCS playoff appearance at Tennessee State into the Bowling Green head coaching role, where he stands at 7–15.
The NC State position is a challenging one. The program ranks third in prestige within its own state, and the Wolfpack compete in a conference that features traditional heavyweights like Clemson, Miami and Florida State — even if some of those programs are currently going through a rough patch. Dave Doeren, who was let go seven games into this season, had a respectable tenure there, reaching 10 bowl games across 14 seasons. Whether Rivers can realistically be expected to match or surpass that standard remains a genuine question.
The best of Sports Illustrated
The top five…
… things I caught last night:
5. A wildly eventful possession for the Rockets late in their victory over the Warriors.
4. Madden Collins's buzzer-beater for American University against Drexel. (He's the son of former NBA player Mardy Collins.)
3. Omar Robbana's goal to send South Carolina into the Sun Belt men's soccer championship game. (That's how I discovered South Carolina competes in the Sun Belt for men's soccer.)
2. Consecutive long touchdowns by Buffalo to put away Ball State.
1. Nils Höglander's between-the-legs goal.