Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis finally got his man today when former Raiders and Bucs coach and current ESPN analyst Jon Gruden agreed to become the team’s new head coach.

According to reports, Gruden will get a 10 year, $100 million dollar contract to coach the team. With that kind of money on the table, it’s no wonder Gruden decided to get back into coaching. I would have to! You can’t blame him. 

With the Raiders moving to Las Vegas after next season, Davis needed to make a splash. He needed to hire a coach with some cache that will reasonate with the fan base in Oakland and Las Vegas. Gruden will do that. Fans young and old can relate to him from a football standpoint. They know who he is. Gruden is the John Madden of this generation. Fans everywhere know the name. 

It is hard not to feel bad for for former coach Jack Del Rio. He did a good job in turning the Raiders around but in the end, he wasn’t the guy who was going to spearhead the franchise’s move to Las Vegas. Del Rio did a good job of changing the culture in Oakland but he wasn’t going to take the franchise to the next level.

Gruden can take the Raiders to the next level. He can mold them into a Super Bowl contender. Despite being out of coaching since 2008, Gruden has been around the game as a broadcaster and draft analyst. He knows the players around the league, the players that draft eligible and he has kept up with the times schematically. He should no problem transitioning back to coaching. 

Gruden was only going to return to coaching for one job. The Raiders job. Davis wanted him and Raider Nation wanted him. It took a big commitment financially and some cajoling but Chucky is back and the Raiders have their swagger back as a result. It should be fun watching Gruden turn this once great franchise around.