Tag: Omar Khan

GM candidates the Giants could consider if they fire Dave Gettleman

With the New York Giants likely to part ways with general manager Dave Gettleman, here are several potential options to replace him.

The New York Giants are likely to move on from general manager Dave Gettleman following the season. Whether he’s fired or retires remains to be seen but either way, Big Blue will be thrust into another GM search.

If the Giants are firm in their commitment to head coach Joe Judge, that may thin out their pool of options. It may also strengthen the likelihood of landing a new GM that has previous ties to Judge.

Is that good or bad? We’ll let you decide.

With a GM swap all but a certainty, here’s a look at several potential options who could replace Gettleman in 2022 and beyond.

Report: Texans’ Cal McNair ignored search firm’s recommendation, hired Nick Caserio anyway

Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair reportedly did not take his own search firm’s recommendation and hired Nick Caserio anyway.

Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair did not go with the two choices for general manager.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Texans had two finalists in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Omar Khan and ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Louis Riddick. Instead, McNair at the last minute went with Nick Caserio, and that upset Deshaun Watson.

Had the Houston Texans stayed the course and followed the recommendation of the search firm Korn Ferry, they likely would have hired Pittsburgh Steelers vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan as their next general manager, league sources told ESPN.

Khan and ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Louis Riddick, who are both minority candidates, were the two finalists before Texans owner Cal McNair changed his mind, ignored the recommendation of the search firm he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to do weeks of work and hired former New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, sources said.

Multiple people in the Texans organization, including quarterback Deshaun Watson, were upset with how Houston’s search took a sudden and unexpected turn, hiring a man that Korn Ferry did not include on its list of candidates.

With Caserio being buddies with Jack Easterby’s, whose foray into the organization as an executive vice president of team development coincided with Houston’s meandering path away from success, there is a sense that not all of the people responsible for the Texans’ 4-12 record are being held accountable.

Texans interview Steelers front office executive Omar Khan for general manager

The Houston Texans have interviewed Pittsburgh Steelers vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan for the general manager job.

The Houston Texans continue their due diligence in finding their fifth general manager in franchise history.

The team announced Monday evening they have completed an interview with Omar Khan, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ vice president of football and business administration.

Khan has been a member of the Steelers organization since 2001 when he took the job as football administration coordinator. In 2011, he was promoted to director of football administration. In 2016, Khan took over in his current capacity.

Prior to joining the Steelers, Khan was with the New Orleans Saints from 1997-2001 he worked in the football operations department with Mickey Loomis as director of football administration from 2000-01.

The success Khan has been around with the Steelers is hard to argue with: two Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl appearances, six AFC Championship Game appearances, 10 AFC North titles, and 13 playoff appearances. If the Texans can capture just a portion of that success, one good run with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, it would be worth putting Khan in as general manager.

Khan is from New Orleans having graduated from Archbishop Rummel High School in nearby Metarie, Louisiana. He also graduated from Tulane with a degree in sports management.

Texans interview New Orleans native, former Saints scout Omar Khan

The Houston Texans interviewed Pittsburgh Steelers exec Omar Khan, a former New Orleans Saints personnel scout and Tulane graduate.

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While several members of the New Orleans Saints are getting interviews for new jobs around the league, one of the organization’s former key cogs has earned a big opportunity: Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Khan interviewed for the Houston Texans’ open general manager position, the team announced Monday evening.

Khan has been with the Steelers since 2001, but before that he spent four years climbing the ladder in New Orleans. He worked as a scouting intern for the Saints out of college (at Tulane University; born and raised in the city, he studied at Rummel High School) until they hired him on a full-time basis in the football operations department.

His responsibilities there were broad, and it helped prepare him for the critical behind-the-scenes role he’s filled in Pittsburgh over the last two decades. His work in personnel evaluation for the Saints has helped him find dozens of big-time contributors for the Steelers over the years.

So it would be very cool to see Khan running his own team. Even as a far-flung branch of the New Orleans tree, it’s good to see him succeed.

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Report: Detroit Lions have begun initial stages of head coaching search, already interviewed Marvin Lewis

According to NFL Network, the Detroit Lions have begun the initial stages of their head coaching search and have already interviewed Marvin Lewis.

According to a joint NFL Network article written by Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo, the Detroit Lions have begun the initial stages of their head coaching search and have already interviewed former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

After 16 seasons coaching the Bengals, Lewis was let go in 2018 and is currently a co-defensive coordinator at Arizona State, working alongside former NFL coach and current Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards.

Per the report, Lewis interviewed with the Lions last Thursday and is the first of several candidates the Lions will be considering.

The Lions have put “in as many as 10 interview slips for head coaching candidates” for current NFL coordinators/coaches, and are even exploring the college ranks as well.

The NFL network made a point to mention several other candidates as well, including 49ers’ DC Robert Saleh, Chiefs’ OC Eric Bienemy, and Titans’ OC Arthur Smith as potential targets. All of which — including Lewis — were among the top-10 candidates we at Lions Wire included in our initial coaching candidates examination.

Not included in our top-10 but also mentioned in the NFL Network piece, was former Lions’ tight end and current Saints’ assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell. After taking over as interim coach for Miami in 2015, Campbell joined the Saints and is widely considered a head coaching waiting.

Additionally, if the Lions were to pursue a college coach, in our top-10 list, we listed Iowa State coach Matt Campbell — whom both Lions Wire editors Jeff Risdon and Erik Schlitt are big fans of –, while NFL Network suggested Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald — who we also profiled in a separate piece.

Finally, the NFL Network also mentioned some general manager names that the Lions are expected to interview, including several we at Lions Wire have already profiled: Seahawks GM John Schneider, Colts’ Ed Dodds, Vikings’ George Paton, and Seahawks’ Scott Fritterer — who we identified in our GM candidates article — as well as Rams’ Director of college scouting Brad Holmes.

New names we have yet to profile include Saints’ VP of player personnel/assistant general manager Terry Fontenot, Steelers’ VP of football administration Omar Khan, Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay, and Patriots front office consultant Eliot Wolf, who is better know for his time with the Packers front office.

Is Omar Khan the Steelers GM-in-waiting?

Khan, the Steelers vice president of football and business administration, has been with the organization since 2001.

In a recent NFL agent survey, insightfully reported by The Athletic‘s Ben Standig, 30 agents were asked their perspectives on dozens of topics. One of them was who to watch as a future general manager and, not surprisingly, Omar Khan’s name came up.

Khan, known as the Steelers contract guru, has meticulously handled a multitude of responsibilities since joining the Steelers. His strategic approach to contract negotiations and salary cap wizardry has been vital in keeping the Steelers competitive over the years.

Since 2001, Khan, 43, has ascended the Steelers front office ladder from football administration coordinator to director of football administration and was promoted to vice president of football and business administration in 2016.

It’s clear that Khan has been groomed to be a general manager; however, it may wind up being somewhere outside of Pittsburgh. He has been linked to other GM opportunities with the Seahawks, Rams, Dolphins and Jets but has remained loyal to the Steelers.

Although Colbert has desired year-to-year contracts with the Steelers, he shows no signs of stepping down. His current contract takes him through the 2021 season.

Pro scouting coordinator Brandon Hunt has actually been hinted at as the favorite to succeed Colbert. Entering his 10th season, Hunt was interviewed by the Eagles in 2016 for their director of player personnel.

Whoever does replace Colbert down the line will have tremendously big shoes to fill.

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