Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is clearly excited about getting the opportunity to work with Mike Mayock after he was announced as the team's new general manager on Monday.

Reported surfaced on Sunday that suggested that Mayock had become a strong candidate in Oakland's GM search, and sure enough, the franchise made it official by bringing in the former NFL draft analyst.

And the addition of Mayock has Gruden singing his praise given his passion for the game.

From Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Jon Gruden: “Mike (Mayock) and I go back about 20 years to 1995 when I was with the Eagles. We've been friends and associates for a long time. … I don't know anybody who knows and loves (football) like Mike.”

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This was obviously a crucial hire for the Raiders after a disappointing 4-12 season in Gruden's first year on the job.

It was clear from the very start that it was going to be a rebuilding year for the franchise, but it was a little bit uglier than expected at many points during the season.

Now comes the hard part in terms of trying to turn this season's failures into success in the future, as both Gruden and Mayock will be counted on to continue to revamp the roster.

There is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to where the team will play next season before its move to Las Vegas in 2020, and that will be on one of many things that the Raiders will have to tackle this upcoming season.