CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ron Rivera remembers vividly when, as the defensive coordinator at San Diego, he pulled into a gas station after losing a close road game and saw quarterback Philip Rivers in the automobile next to him.

Make that heard Rivers in the automobile next to him.

“I could hear him yelling into the phone,’’ the Carolina Panthers coach recalled as he looked ahead to Sunday’s game against Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. “He and his dad were talking about the game, and he was so excited about it.

The last time Philip Rivers played in North Carolina was in 2003 -- during his final year at NC State. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

“It’s just something I’ll never forget. Here he is still talking to his dad about the game, what happened and what he could have done better.’’

Rivera relished the opportunity to talk about something other than his benching of Cam Newton for the first series on Sunday because the quarterback didn’t wear a tie on the flight to Seattle.

He relished talking about anything but a season that has gone awry at 4-8.

San Diego coach Mike McCoy also seemed to relish taking a trip down memory lane of his time at Carolina instead of a 5-7 season marred by about as many close losses as the Panthers have experienced.

Sunday’s game will be a lot about memories for the head coaches.

Rivera was the linebackers coach at San Diego in 2007 and defensive coordinator from 2008 until 2010. He saw firsthand how badly Rivers wants to win, remembering the disappointment after losing the AFC Championship Game following the 2007 season.

McCoy was with the Panthers from 2000 to 2008, the final two years spent as the passing coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In 2001, he was the wide receivers coach during Steve Smith’s rookie season.

In 2003, he helped Carolina reach the Super Bowl for the first time. He still vacations with former Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme.

“A lot of the things I do today, I learned in Carolina,’’ McCoy said.

While this is a business trip for McCoy, his wife Kellie and two children (Olivia and Luke) are making the trip with the team so they can visit old friends.

“We’re just looking forward to getting back out there,’’ McCoy said. “The kids haven’t been out there in a long time. They’re really looking forward to seeing some of the old neighbors and just go out there and see us play a game in Carolina. That’s where our kids grew up so it’s a special place. It means a lot to us.’’

San Diego was special for Rivera. His time there propelled him to the head coaching job at Carolina.

He still respects players like Rivers and what they mean to the game.

“His competitive fire. His spirit. His will to want to win. The verbiage he used . . . gosh, golly, doggone,’’ Rivera said. “Pretty impressive.’’

This also is a homecoming for Rivers, who played at NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina, from 2000 to 2003 before becoming a five-time Pro Bowl selection for the Chargers.

“I was married and had our first daughter there, so Raleigh and the experience playing there, will always be a special place," Rivers said.

“Time flies, I can’t believe it’s been since 2004 that I have played at Carolina. It just flies by. This is Year 13. It goes in a hurry as everybody always tells you."

But the memories, as Rivera made clear, always are there.