Ex-Raiders GM Mike Mayock discusses firing for 1st time

Former Raiders general manager Mike Mayock expressed optimism about his future while publicly discussing his past with the franchise for the first time.

During an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Mayock said he’s not sure if he still would be with the team had they defeated the Bengals in the AFC wild-card game.

“You’d have to ask Mark (owner Davis),” he said.

Mayock said he respected Davis’ decision to fire him in January after three seasons as general manager despite steady improvement in the standings.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the owner has the final say,” Mayock said. “Mark Davis has a good heart. I like Mark Davis personally, and he decided that me and (interim coach) Rich Bisaccia didn’t get it done at the level he wanted it, or that he felt like a couple of other guys could get it done at a higher level. And I have to respect that because he’s the boss.”

Mayock, who wore a red Golden Knights hat during the appearance, cited the team’s record during his tenure, but he made no mention of the draft-day misses and off-the-field issues.

“When I got there, they were a 4-12 team, and then we went 7-9, 8-8 and 10-7,” Mayock said. “We were on the 9-yard line in the playoffs with 35 seconds left with four shots to tie Cincinnati, who went to the Super Bowl, which kinda shows you how close the NFL is.”

Mayock said he still watches tape for several hours each morning, but finds himself wondering what to do with the rest of his day around noon.

He said he still texts with former coach Jon Gruden, who called Mayock after he was fired.

Now, Mayock is contemplating his future. He said he has had preliminary conversations about a job but hasn’t made any decisions.

“At age 63, I know me, and I need to be around football,” he said. “But whether it’s an NFL team, doing television, or I could go coach defensive backs at The Haverford School right down the street (in Philadelphia) and be really happy.

“When the right opportunity comes, I think I’ll know.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.