Buccaneers fire coach Jon Gruden, GM Bruce Allen

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -A Super Bowl title bought Jon Gruden time, but ultimately couldn't save his job.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dismissed their fiery coach and general manager Bruce Allen on Friday, three weeks after the team completed one of the biggest collapses in NFL history, losing four straight games following a 9-3 start to miss the playoffs.

Gruden was a rising star when he was hired seven years ago to get a team built by Tony Dungy to the Super Bowl. But Gruden only guided the Bucs to the postseason twice after becoming the youngest coach to win the NFL title in January 2003.

That wasn't nearly enough for the sons of owner Malcolm Glazer, who took their time before deciding they had seen enough of aging quarterbacks, mediocre drafts and a coach and general manager who often pinned the blame for poor finishes on injuries.

Gruden, 39 when the Bucs beat Oakland in the Super Bowl, went 60-57 in seven seasons, including a 3-2 mark in the playoffs. Allen was general manager for the last five seasons in a reunion of a relationship that began when both were with the Raiders.

"These decisions are never easy. This is the toughest decision you can make for an NFL franchise. ... Jon and Bruce are consummate professionals. They've poured their heart and soul into this franchise," Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer said. "It's really been an honor to work with them. They gave their all."

The Bucs were tied for first place in the NFC South heading into December, but finished with losses to Carolina and Atlanta on the road and San Diego and Oakland at home, where they had been 6-0. One more win would have landed a NFC wild-card berth.

The 9-7 record this season gave Gruden consecutive winning records for the first time since arriving in Tampa Bay, yet still left the Bucs out of the playoffs for the fourth time in six years and prompted the Glazer family to reevaluate the direction of the franchise.

"Any time a season ends, especially the way our season ended, it's a very, very emotional time. And one thing we always like to do is not act on emotion, let things simmer down, think through things carefully and not make any quick, rash decisions," Glazer said.

"After taking a lot of time to look at our franchise, look where it's been, look where it is, look where we want to go, we just felt this was the time for a change."

The Glazers fired Dungy after consecutive first-round playoff losses in Philadelphia and used four high draft picks - two No. 1s and two No. 2s - and $8 million cash to pry Gruden away from the Raiders following the 2001 season.

He was an instant hit, retooling an inept offense and riding a defense that ranked No. 1 in the NFL to the Super Bowl.

Interestingly, his firing came four days after Dungy announced his retirement after a successful seven-year run that included one NFL title with the Indianapolis Colts.