BATON ROUGE - The search for LSU's next football coach, who newly-appointed interim athletic director Verge Ausberry says will be "the best football coach there is," is now in full swing.

Ausberry, who is on the search committee, is among five people who will be choosing LSU's next head coach.

Ausberry, who's been with LSU athletics for 24 years, was the Executive Deputy Director of Athletics and Executive Director of External Relations prior. He's a former player and has a son on the football team.

John Carmouche and Scott Ballard are both on the Board of Supervisors as athletics chair and chair, respectively. Both were appointed to the board last year by Governor Landry. 

CEO and President of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady of the Lake, E.J. Kuiper, is in charge of the hospital system that has a 10-year $170 million partnership with LSU, with $85 million going directly to athletics. Kuiper was born and raised in the Netherlands.

Ben Bordelon is President of Bollinger Shipyards and a former football player.

He has two sons currently on the team and runs the Purple and Gold PAC, which makes contributions to political candidates who support LSU.

A possible 6th person hasn't committed to joining the committee yet.

"We're looking at one more person. The process has started. The process has started since we made the decision Sunday," Ausberry said. 

It could potentially be next LSU president, who is expected to be announced next week.

"The new president will absolutely have input and hopefully hit the ground running," said Scott Ballard. 

Ballard gave his input on whether the board would stray away from an out-of-state coach after criticisms of former head coach Brian Kelly not being a fit in Louisiana.

"Verge's license is to go find the best coach. I think people in Louisiana love to have Louisiana people, and I'm no different. I was born here and, God willing, I'll die here, but that is not a litmus per se, but if verge can go find one who has Louisiana ties, then awesome, but that is not a litmus."

The committee says there is no timeline in place.