With the Pittsburgh Steelers officially announcing the hiring of Omar Khan as the team’s next General Manager, the team will have a new face in that role for the first time in over two decades.
However, Pro Football Hall of Fame and Super Bowl winning coach, Bill Cowher believes Khan taking over for Kevin Colbert was an A+ decision.
Khan has been with the Steelers since 2001 in their front office and continued to prove the team made the correct decision in hiring him by continuously taking on more responsibility and succeeding. He has been their biggest key to success when it comes to managing the team’s salary cap and contract negotiations/structures.
Kevin Colbert and Omar Khan. Credit: TribLIVE
Bill Cowher and Omar Khan
Khan worked with Cowher for five seasons before Cowher retired and the team hired now head coach Mike Tomlin in 2006, so Cowher understand how Khan operates. Here is what he had to say about Khan taking over as GM in an interview with Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
“Understanding the dynamics of the building is really important, and Omar knows that. With the Steelers, it always comes down to collaborating. There’s going to be a new structure and new faces, but it’s going to be a collaborative effort. Mike Tomlin will be a big part of everything they do. That’s why it’s going to be a seamless transition from Kevin to Omar. He’s worked with Mike for the last 15 years. It’s a great move.”
Working with the team and the current staff for so long makes the hiring of Khan one that should keep the team moving forward without having to learn a new way of operating.
It is more than just being comfortable with one another though, as Khan was legitimately the best man for the job and the league was starting to catch on. Over the last few seasons, Khan received several interviews from multiple organizations for their GM position, including an interview with the Chicago Bears as recent as this winter.
He was so desirable by other teams for the success he has had with keeping the Steelers in a good situation in terms of the salary cap and negotiating contracts, but that’s not all he has done. Khan has been a contributor when it comes to the NFL Draft and free agency as well, which is likely an underrated part of his resume.
Cowher confirmed this with some comments on Khan’s well-rounded skillset:
“He got involved in the draft and free agent acquisitions and how the cap affected that. When you manage the cap, you have to understand everything about the team. Omar understood that from the very beginning.”
There is no denying that almost everyone around the league believes that the Steelers made a good decision in promoting Khan. Time will tell just how good he will be, but getting this much glowing support is always a good sign.
Let us know below what you think about the Steelers hiring Khan as their next GM!
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