The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially named Omar Khan as their next general manager, succeeding Kevin Colbert after 22 years on the job. The team sent out a press release Wednesday afternoon with quotes from Team President Art Rooney II and Khan himself.
Rooney issued the following statement via the team’s PR department.
“I am pleased to announce Omar Khan as our next General Manager. Omar has been an integral part of our Football Operations Department during his 21 years with the team and that experience will serve him well in his new position.”
It’s the first GM hire Art Rooney has had to make after his dad Dan Rooney hired Colbert in 2000. Khan certainly has big shoes to fill, with Colbert being one of the most successful GMs of the last two decades, adding Lombardis number five and six to the Steelers’ trophy case. Pittsburgh has consistently been one of the most competitive teams in the league during Colbert’s time and one of the best-drafting teams in football, finding first-round Hall of Famers like Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger and late-round gems like Antonio Brown, not to mention UDFAs like Willie Parker, James Harrison, and Ramon Foster.
Khan also issued a statement, his first as the new GM.
“I am extremely excited for this opportunity to be the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I would like to thank Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, and Kevin Colbert for their support throughout this process. I am ready for this challenge and grateful to continue the success we have had on the field during my first 21 years. I look forward to completing our football operations staff and working tirelessly to build another championship football team for Steelers Nation and our community.”
Khan, 45, was hired in 2001, just a year after Colbert came through the doors. He’s held the title of VP of Football & Business Administration for years, but was colloquially known as “the cap guy.” Pittsburgh has also reportedly added Andy Weidl to be the team’s assistant GM, though the Steelers haven’t made a formal announcement yet. That likely will come soon.
As Khan’s statement notes, the team will spend the next several weeks building out its front office. The team reportedly plans to hire Sheldon White for a high-level front office position, and it’s likely the team makes other front office moves over the rest of the summer. Brandon Hunt is likely on his way out the door, potentially landing a job with the Eagles or Bills.
Khan is likely to have a press conference in the coming days, and we’ll certainly recap that whenever it occurs.
