The NIL-era of college sports has caused many universities across the country to reshape their football programs from the top down. Colorado State University is latest to do so.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the CSU Rams are hiring former Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert to serve as a consultant.
The move is, "part of the school’s push to stay at the forefront for the new era of college football," Thamel wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "Colbert will help coach Jay Norvell and the school’s player personnel department set up systems for building a football front office."
Sources: Colorado State is bringing on former Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert as a consultant, part of the school’s push to stay at the forefront for the new era of college football. Colbert will help coach Jay Norvell and the school’s player personnel department set up… pic.twitter.com/ZHjnQfRLhN
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 30, 2025
Colorado State finished 8–5 in 2024–25, their first winning season under Norvell. They also made their first bowl game appearance since 2017, losing 43–17 to Miami (Ohio) in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.
Colbert heads to Fort Collins, Colo. with an abundance of NFL personnel experience. He began his career as a college scout with the Miami Dolphins in 1985 before working as the Detroit Lions' pro scouting director from '90 to '99. The 68-year-old then moved onto the Pittsburgh Steelers where he spent 23 seasons in their front office. Colbert—a two-time Super Bowl champion—served as director of football operations (2000 to '10) general manager ('10 to '22), and vice president ('16 to '22). He stepped down following the 2022 NFL draft.
The Colorado State Rams open up their 2025 season on Saturday, Aug. 30 in Seattle against the Washington Huskies.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Colorado State Hires Former NFL GM to Assist with Changing College Football Landscape.
