Scott Linehan declined the San Francisco 49ers' offer to become their offensive coordinator yesterday, saying he wasn't ready to commit to his next coaching move.

Linehan, a respected offensive coordinator for Miami and Minnesota, was fired four games into his third season as the St. Louis Rams' head coach last September. He still wants to return to coaching this year, but doesn't intend to rush his choice.

"They were great to me from the top down, from ownership to the front office to (49ers coach) Mike (Singletary)," Linehan told The Associated Press in a phone interview from his home in St. Louis. "It's just timing right now. I'm just not ready to make a decision."

Linehan was offered the job Thursday after his second interview with Singletary and general manager Scot McCloughan, who are looking for the seventh offensive coordinator in seven seasons after Mike Martz was fired last month.

Linehan emerged last week as the favorite in a field of four finalists that included Cleveland offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, Denver offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and Indianapolis receivers coach Clyde Christensen.

But Linehan is out, and Dennison was retained on the staff of new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels last week.

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Buccaneers: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired six members of former coach Jon Gruden's staff yesterday.

The fired assistants were offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Muir, defensive quality control coaches Johnny Cox and Ejiro Evero, offensive assistant Jay Gruden, strength and conditioning coach Mike Morris and assistant offensive line coach George Yarno.

Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen were fired Friday, after the Bucs lost four straight to miss the playoffs following a 9-3 start.

Officiating: Mike Pereira, who has headed the NFL's officiating department since 2001, will retire after the 2009 season.