LSU Interim President Matt Lee did express interest in the open university presidency, the search committee for the position announced Thursday.

Lee’s name appeared on a list of 30 candidates who’d expressed interest, and SSA Consulting, the firm LSU is partnering with to attract and filter candidates, identified Lee as one of the five candidates that most closely aligned with what it was looking for.

Lee was previously noncommittal about whether he’d throw his name into the ring.

“I’m doing the job right now, and then we’ll see what the future holds,” Lee told the Reveille in June. “What I want is the person who’s going to be the best fit for LSU to move the institution forward.”

The search committee voted to invite Lee to formally apply for the presidential vacancy Thursday, along with five other candidates.

Lee has been serving as the interim president since May, when former President William Tate IV left for the same job at Rutgers University.