Nick Holt is the current leader of the Western Kentucky football program. And he doesn’t want to give that role up anytime soon.

Holt on Tuesday addressed the media for the first time since assuming interim head coaching duties. The Hilltoppers’ associate head coach/defensive coordinator was handed that interim tag Monday in the wake of coach Jeff Brohm’s departure to Purdue.

After Holt gave a 10-minute opening statement Tuesday on the current state of the program, he was asked what sort of interest he has in the full-time WKU coaching job.

“Oh, I want this job,” Holt said in a news conference at E.A. Diddle Arena. “Absolutely. We’ve got all of our ducks hopefully in a row here or in line and we’re ready to go. I’ll take it today. We’ve got to go.”

Holt has been at WKU for four years, the last three under Brohm. He was originally hired in 2013 as a defensive coordinator on Bobby Petrino’s staff.

Holt has been part of Hilltopper teams that have now won back-to-back Conference USA titles and produced back-to-back 10-win seasons.

Holt will lead WKU (10-3) into the Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 20 in Boca Raton, Fla., against Memphis. It’ll be his first game leading a program since he was coach at Idaho from 2004-05.

“I’m really excited to have this opportunity,” Holt said. “It’s four years really in waiting and we’re ready to go with it and ready to roll and ready to beat Memphis.”

Holt is one of two internal candidates for the Toppers’ head coaching vacancy. Multiple sources have identified Holt’s fellow WKU assistant Tony Levine as another candidate.

Levine was head coach at Houston from 2012-14. He’s in his first year at WKU with the official title of co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach/special teams coordinator.

Sources told the Daily News that Levine will likely join Brohm’s staff at Purdue as his special teams coach if he doesn’t get the WKU head coaching job.

Outside candidates include Troy coach Neal Brown, USC quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Tyson Helton – a former WKU assistant – and Tennessee Titans quarterbacks coach Jason Michael, a former WKU QB, among others.

Alabama offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Lane Kiffin may also be in the running if he doesn’t land another head coaching job, sources said. However, sources added that a Kiffin hire by WKU is considered unlikely.

WKU athletic director Todd Stewart said Monday in the hours after Brohm’s departure that he was looking for a coach that “will keep the train rolling” and continue the program’s recent success.

The Hilltoppers are 30-10 over the last three years and haven’t won less than seven games in a season since 2010. WKU repeated as a conference champion for the first time since 1970-71 and will go to a bowl game this month for the fourth time in five years.

Stewart addressed the vacancy again Tuesday afternoon during an appearance Tuesday on the “3HL” radio show on WGFX 104.5 FM in Nashville. He referenced both Holt and Levine’s coaching experience.

“We’ve got some really good leadership here internally that’ll get us through the next few weeks and certainly those guys are interested in the job as well,” Stewart said. “So the combination of the internal options and the external interest gives me a lot of confidence that whenever we decide to move forward we’ll do so with a person that’ll keep this train rolling.”

Holt made his pitch for the job to media Tuesday, highlighting his success both at WKU and at stops earlier in his career.

Holt’s most notable assistant coaching experience came at USC, where he worked at from both 2001-03 and 2006-08 under mentor Pete Carroll. Holt was linebackers coach at USC when the Trojans won the 2003 AP national championship. He also recruited 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush.

After going 5-18 over two years at Idaho, Holt went back to USC as defensive coordinator/defensive line coach. He helped the Trojans to three more Pac-10 Conference titles and three more Rose Bowl berths.

“I’ve been here longer than anybody other than some of those fifth-year seniors … ,” Holt said. “There’s nobody on defense that’s been here longer than I have.

“There’s nobody that’s won as many conference championships in all conferences, big or small, than me, the guy you’re looking at right now. There’s nobody that has recruited more first-round draft picks and developed more players than the guy you’re looking at right now.

“There’s nobody that’s ever recruited a guy that’s won a Heisman Trophy on our team. I have. So we have some feathers in our cap.”

Holt’s WKU defense finished the 2013 season ranked No. 46 nationally in yards per play allowed (5.33). That ranking then nosedived to No. 124 in 2014, with the Hilltopper defense allowing 6.66 yards per play.

WKU improved in 2015 to a No. 76 ranking (5.69). This year the Toppers are up to No. 29 nationally in that category (5.12).

WKU is No. 5 nationally this year in opponent yards per rush (3.04), No. 41 in opponent yards per pass attempt (6.9) and No. 39 in opponent points per game (24.1). Those figures rank first, second and first, respectively, in C-USA.

Linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe is a redshirt sophomore who’s played under Holt for three seasons. He said his coordinator is “definitely qualified” but added that the program will “rally around” whoever Stewart hires.

“I can definitely say that he loves his job, he loves football, he always brings enthusiasm to the game,” Iyiegbuniwe said of Holt. “He makes it easy to play the game and have energy, especially being on the defense.

“I think he’s definitely going to do a good job in the next weeks (as interim coach) rallying the team and energizing us.”

As interim coach, much of Holt’s work over the coming days will be stabilizing the program in Brohm’s absence and then getting the Toppers prepared for the Boca Raton Bowl.

WKU will start practicing for its matchup with the Tigers on Friday. The Hilltoppers have had a week off from practice while coaches are on the road recruiting and players are taking finals.

But in the midst of Holt’s short-term duties, he’ll also be working hard to earn the full-time coaching duties.

He made that much clear Tuesday.

“I’ve never been one to self-promote like all these other people do in today’s college coaching,” Holt said. “But this is a job that’s special. …

“It’s really our time to take hold of the reins and go for it and make this place better than it even is now.”

— Follow sports reporter Brad Stephens on Twitter @BradBGDN or visit bgdailynews.com.