Singletary said yesterday that a couple of sticking points surfaced during his talks this week with Athletic Director Ian McCaw and, rather than drag out the process, he decided to "let it go."

Singletary said there were "philosophical differences" that would have prevented him from taking the job.

He said he had told McCaw that he would not leave his 49ers job before the end of this season.

"I was going to finish what I started. I wasn't going to compromise on that," Singletary said.

Singletary also wanted to remain directly involved in coaching his players, rather than delegating to assistants so that he could fulfill other obligations as a sort of football ambassador for Baylor.

"They asked, `Are you comfortable with letting your staff coach your team while you're speaking and doing other things?"' Singletary said. "No, I'm a coach. I'm not a politician."

Singletary said he considered the job only because he attended Baylor and his son is a freshman on the team. As a parent and school booster, he's hopeful Baylor will "find the right guy."

He said his preference all along was to remain in the NFL.

"I'm going to finish what I started," Singletary said. "This is what I do. This is what I've become accustomed to."

Singletary, who has played an important role in the development of star rookie linebacker Patrick Willis, remains a prospective NFL head-coaching candidate. He has interviewed with Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas and San Diego during the past two years.