Former Buddie Jack Ross has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant manager post at St Mirren.
The Saints are on the hunt for a new boss after Jim Goodwin left the club last week to take over at Aberdeen.
Young coaches Scott Brown and Steven Naismith have both been sounded out as replacements, with the club already holding talks with Brown about taking up the role.
Ross was understood to be one of the candidates the board would like to be involved in the recruitment process, having enjoyed a successful spell in Paisley previously.
But now the 45-year-old has ruled himself out of the race to replace Goodwin, leaving Brown and Naismith as the current main contenders for the job.
St Mirren started life without Goodwin with a battling 1-1 draw with Livingston at the weekend, maintaining their unbeaten run despite seeing Charles Dunne sent off late in the second half.
