Provost John Etchemendy told The Daily Wednesday that he would not, if it was offered, accept a job offer to be the next president of Harvard University.

“It is flattering that my name is mentioned in connection with the Harvard presidency, but I have no intention or desire to leave my current position, which I believe is the best position in higher education,” Etchemendy wrote in an email.

Etchemendy has been mentioned as a possible contender for the job vacated by the embattled Larry Summers, a former Treasury secretary who came under intense fire for remarks about women and clashed with some members of the faculty.

Etchemendy disputed a suggestion by The Daily that the Harvard presidency might be considered the most sought after job in higher education.

“I am surprised that you think that the Harvard presidency is the most coveted position in academia,” he wrote. “I certainly would not leave the best university in the world to take it!”

The Boston Globe and Harvard Crimson have identified Etchemendy as a prominent leader in higher education and a potential candidate for the post. A Costa Rican gambling house placed the odds of Etchemendy being named as president at 4 to 1 in August, the third most likely to gain the post.

The revelation was welcomed by University officials, who said they personally enjoy working with Etchemendy, the chief academic officer at the University.

“I’m very happy to hear him say that,” said Alan Acosta, the director of University Communications.

A nine-member search committee, made up of six members of the Harvard Corporation and three members of the Board of Overseers, has been deliberating and vetting candidates for the presidential post.