Raiders hire draft guru Mayock as GM

Coach Jon Gruden found another former television analyst to help him on his rebuild of the Raiders.

The Raiders hired former NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock as their new general manager on Dec. 31.

Gruden had been searching for a general manager after the team fired Reggie McKenzie earlier in a 4-12 season that ended with a 35-3 loss to Kansas City on Sunday. It was an underwhelming return to the sideline for Gruden, who got a 10-year, $100 million contract to return for a second stint in Oakland after spending nine seasons as an analyst at ESPN.

Gruden inherited McKenzie, who won the 2016 NFL executive of the year award for his rebuilding job after the death of late owner Al Davis in 2011. The pairing didn’t work as Gruden frequently criticized McKenzie’s recent drafts and got rid of many of those players.

Now the Raiders are hoping for a better working relationship between Gruden and Mayock, who was widely respected as a draft analyst since 2006 but now will be responsible for helping to make the picks.

Mayock has no experience in an NFL front office but will work with Gruden on upgrading a scouting and personnel department that struggled to find impact players in recent years.

The Raiders will have three first-round picks in April’s draft. Oakland has its own pick, which will be fourth in the draft, as well as firstrounders from Chicago and Dallas, which will be in the bottom 12 picks in the first round. FOLES WILL START VS. BEARS » Nick Foles will lead the Eagles into the playoffs.

Coach Doug Pederson said Foles is “feeling good” after suffering a chest injury and will start when the Eagles (9-7) face the Bears (12-4) in an NFC wildcard game next Sunday.

“We’ll take care of him and make sure he’s ready,” Pederson said Monday.

Pederson said Nate Sudfeld is the backup as of right now and couldn’t provide an update on Carson Wentz’s back injury. He wouldn’t commit to starting Foles if the Eagles advance.

“There is no guarantee we’re going to win this game,” Pederson said. “I’ll evaluate next Monday.”

The Eagles earned a playoff berth with a 24-0 win at Washington coupled with Chicago’s victory at Minnesota.

Foles is 6-0 in mustwin games filling in for Wentz the past two seasons, including 3-0 in the playoffs and earned Super Bowl MVP honors in a 41-33 victory over New England.

College basketball

UCLA FIRES ALFORD » Steve Alford has been fired as UCLA basketball coach after six seasons, with the Bruins mired in a four-game skid that included losses at home to Belmont and Liberty.

Athletic director Dan Guerrero said Monday that assistant Murry Bartow will serve as interim coach through the end of the season.

UCLA is 7-6 and in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament despite a talented roster that includes sophomore Kris Wilkes and freshman Moses Brown.

Alford’s final game was a 73-58 loss to Liberty on Saturday, the worst home defeat in his tenure. The Bruins committed 24 turnovers and missed a season-high 22 3-pointers. Alford called it the most disappointing loss in his 28-year coaching career.

The str Bruins set to open Pac-12 play Jan. 3 against Stanford at home, and Guerrero is clearly hoping the decision spurs a turnaround.