The Brumbies assistants are favourites to take the top job, the board even exploring the potential of them working together as co-coaches next season.

But both have dismissed the idea, claiming the Brumbies needed one head coach to have the ''final say''.

No formal interview process has been set and it's understood the Brumbies want to appoint a new coach in time for pre-season training on October 14.

Former Wallabies assistant and Brumbies player Jim Williams is likely to apply, and sacked Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is still searching for a job.

But Larkham and Fisher are the leading candidates.

Larkham admits he would have preferred one more year of guidance under White, but has declared he is ready to coach the Brumbies after a three-year apprenticeship.

''Ideally, another year under Jake and Laurie would have been perfect, but the plan was always to take it to the next level. It was Jake's plan to get me to a head coach while he was here,'' Larkham said. ''But this is a good opportunity and I'm happy to step up. But it's a decision for the board to make and I believe it's out of myself and Laurie. They've spoken about internal succession.

''I'm certainly happy to take the role of head coach, or I'm happy to help Laurie out if he takes the role of head coach.''

Larkham ruled out a co-coaching option.

''Laurie and I work really well together, most of the decisions that we've made in terms of direction of the team have been joint decisions,'' Larkham said.

''But with the final decision, someone has to make it. One person has to be accountable for the decision in the end.''

Fisher was Larkham's coach at the Brumbies from 2005-07.

White always planned for Larkham to be his successor at the end of his tenure in 2015.

White confided in Brumbies officials last week that he made his own role ''redundant'' due to the emergence of Fisher and Larkham.

''Now that Jake's gone, it's about getting us to the next level which is winning the Super Rugby championship,'' Larkham said. ''We've got an excellent group of players who are on this journey together and the group hasn't really changed.''

Having already been at the helm of the Brumbies, Fisher says he is coaching ''better than I ever have'' and is keen for a second chance.

Fisher took over from David Nucifora in 2005 and was coach until the end of the 2008 campaign.

The Brumbies failed to make the finals during his tenure, going agonisingly close to a playoff berth in three of his seasons.

''I certainly have ambition to be a head coach again. I'm not constantly on the lookout for other opportunities, but at the right time and with the right opportunity, I would want to take it,'' Fisher said.

''I'd like to be coaching for another 10 years. Do I want to be out on the field? I love what I do, but further down the track, you have to plan your life.

''I'm confident, I've got the skills and ability to do a good job. I think I could do a good job here, I think I'm coaching [better] than I ever have before.''

Fisher is widely regarded as the best forwards coach in Australia.

Some players re-signed with the Brumbies on the proviso Fisher would still be at the club.

He was interviewed for the Wallabies job before Robbie Deans was appointed and left Canberra at the end of 2008 to become a forwards coach at Munster in Ireland.

When White was given the Brumbies job, one of his first appointments was luring Fisher home to the capital.

Fisher has signed a contract to stay with the Brumbies until the end of 2015 and said he would stay in Canberra even if Larkham was given the promotion.

''Whichever way it goes, we'll be working very closely together. There's no issue there at all,'' he said. ''His [Larkham] job doesn't change, my job doesn't change … I think I'm more than capable of doing the job as I think Stevie is.

''If the board and the CEO decide they'd rather keep that continuity, whichever way it goes, I'm sure we'd both be happy with it.''