Justin Langer would finish with the most successful end to a tenure as Australia coach since John Buchanan if his stint in charge ended abruptly this month.
Cricket Australia (CA) will hold a pre-scheduled board meeting on Friday, with Langer's role expected to be high on the agenda.
Langer has already met with CA CEO Nick Hockley and high performance manager Ben Oliver, with officials denying reports last Friday's talks became fiery.
But what is clear is that six months of speculation around Langer's future must come to a head.
While his contract does not expire until after the Test tour of Pakistan in March, it's expected a decision would want to be made before the team's departure.
Conjecture over Langer's position has long been focused on player concerns about his intense nature, and not about on-field performances.
But Langer can mount a fair argument about the direction he is taking the team after a maiden Twenty20 World Cup win and dominant 4-0 Ashes victory this summer.
Since Australia began employing full-time men's coaches in 1986 only Buchanan has ended his role as coach with two successful major campaigns.
Buchanan ended on his own terms when deciding to step aside after the 2006-07 Ashes whitewash and ensuing World Cup win.
Predecessors Bob Simpson and Geoff Marsh also made the call to move on after successful reigns, but both lost their last series in charge in the 1996 World Cup and a 1999 tour to Sri Lanka respectively.
More recently Mickey Arthur was sacked after a 4-0 loss in India, Darren Lehmann resigned after the ball-tampering scandal and Tim Neilsen quit when asked to reapply for his job.
Neilsen had just wrapped up Test and ODI series wins Sri Lanka, after a summer in which a home Ashes loss prompted the Argus Review before Australia's first unsuccessful World Cup in 15 years.
In comparison, Australia's on-field success under Langer stands out with the team ranked No.1 in Test cricket after a rebuilding period.
Langer has also made clear at points this summer he has been happy to loosen his grip, letting assistants assume more responsibility.
Several of his former teammates have made the case for him, with Ian Healy on Wednesday joining the likes of Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting as vocal supporters.
"A lot of those players were in behind the cultural problem they had four years ago," Healy said on SEN.
"The game is going to look stupid if they sack Justin Langer.
"The powerbrokers will look stupid.
"I don't think they will sack him, I think they they will manage him out (on the length of his contract offer)."
Whether Langer would accept a shorter 18-month or two-year extension remains a point of contention after his initial deal was for four years.
Australia have significant series in the short-term, including a home T20 World Cup defence, a return to Pakistan, Test series in India and an away Ashes.
