Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan shares reflections on Mike Tomlin and his initial impressions of new coach Mike McCarthy.
Naturally, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan knew he was going to be asked about former coach Mike Tomlin last week during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Tomlin resigned on Jan. 13, a day after a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in an AFC wild-card game ended the Steelers’ season. It also turned out to end Tomlin’s 19-year run on the job.
However, Khan beat the media to the punch on Tomlin, opening his news conference with remarks about the former coach.
"I haven't had a chance to talk about him publicly, but Coach Tomlin, it's been an honor and a privilege to have worked side by side with him for so long," Khan said. "He was a great partner, always going to appreciate the times we had. We had a shared vision, and it was great, and I learned so much."
Khan was hired by the Steelers as their football operations coordinator in 2001, six years before Tomlin was hired to replace the retiring Bill Cowher. Tomlin was 35 and had a scant resume, having been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for only one season with the Minnesota Vikings.
Tomlin wound with a 193-114-2 record in the regular season, tying Hall of Famer Chuck Noll for most wins in franchise history. Tomlin was just 8-12 in the playoffs, though, which led to him falling out of favor with Steelers’ fans.
Mike McCarthy was hired to replace Tomlin on Jan. 27 and has gotten mixed reviews. McCarthy is 62, and some critics believe that the Steelers should have hired a younger coach.
Yet McCarthy has 18 years of head coaching experience and a 174-112-2 regular-season record with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. He is 11-11 in the postseason.
McCarthy has made a strong early impression on Khan.
“He has been on the job for a month, and it’s been a grind, but he’s been tremendous,” Khan said. “I personally have learned through the process, and the Steelers haven’t done this in a long time, but it’s been great. And a lot of work, a lot of conversation, good discussions, but that’s where we’re out, and personally, I am really excited and have enjoyed the process.”
Steeler Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Steelers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.