NATCHEZ — Roy Rigsby stood under a fluorescent light Wednesday, sporting a freshly minted suit that featured a blue tie, signifying his new position —  head football coach of Natchez High School.

Without hardly a hesitation or a waver in his deep voice, the 42 year old projected a strong confidence behind his windsor knot.

“I’m a child of God,” Rigsby said. “I’m out-of-the-box at times. I don’t do everything like everybody else does it, and I don’t apologize for being different, especially if that brings about a positive change. I’m a father, a teacher, a coach. I’m friendly but I can be a disciplinarian if I have to.”

On Thursday afternoon, Rigsby was not inside and he didn’t wear a suit. Instead, he was decked out in Natchez High blue and gold — a visor, khakis and a short-sleeve pullover that he would later regret wearing after the sun went down. He looked like a coach as he sat in the bleachers at the Chester Willis Field, watching his friend, Natchez baseball coach Dan Smith, drill his team during an intrasquad scrimmage.

Rigsby spoke with color. He was demonstrative, waving his arms changing the volume of his voice mid-conversation. Hit fits the football coach cliche and, at the same time, he breaks it. He doesn’t swear. He spoke about the coach of his NFL team of choice, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He invokes Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin when it comes to the expectations of his first season as a head coach.

“The standard is the standard, it’s always going to be way up here,” Rigsby said, pointing to the sky. “I’d rather swing and strike out than take a pitch. That’s why I don’t shy away from being different; I can swing a thousand times.”

Rigsby’s first swings at Natchez came during the 2015 season under then interim head coach Henry Garner. Rigsby served as the team’s defensive line coach during last season’s 4-7 campaign.

“He’s a God send,” Garner said of Rigsby. “I really believe he’ll be a blessing to this community and to this team. The kids look up to him and he has a great rapport with them,” Garner said. “It’s hard to talk about his charisma because I can’t get that high. That joker is always off the charts.”

Natchez High is Rigsby’s latest stop as a football coach, having served as the school’s defensive line coach a year ago. Rigsby’s previous jobs include a three-year spell at Bassfield High School before making his way to his alma mater, Magee High School, for a five-year stint.

Rigsby said Magee High is where the thoughts of coaching all started, before his playing career was even over.

“That’s when I thought, ‘This coaching thing may not be a bad idea,” Rigsby said.

After high school, Rigsby spent two years as a defensive back at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. He then transferred to Alcorn State yet did not continue his playing career, and instead elected to focus solely on his academics and work as he helped his parents through their divorce back home.

At Bassfield, Rigsby worked under coach Lance Mancuso.

“I’ve been there under Mancuso, I’ve seen their program change and I’m glad I was there,” Rigsby said. “I went to Magee and, traditionally there, football is life. I’ve seen the significance it has in the community. All of that has a part of the vision I have here. I guess God pours into you what he wants you to pour out.”

Rigsby said he recognizes his role as a head coach is more than on the field. He watched some of his players play intrasquad on the diamond — Chris Scott, his tall, lanky quarterback, and Tydarius Terrell his stocky package of a running back who can “fly” according to Rigsby.

Not even a minute after “fly” leaves Rigsby’s lips, Terrell stole second with ease.

Rigsby then put his job into perspective more broadly as he pointed out to the field. He explained that, along with shooting for championship rings, he is trying to turn these young men into great men.

“There are about 20 kids on that field, let’s say half of them don’t have fathers at home,” Rigsby said. “You have to make sure your words priceless to earn their trust.”

Fatherhood is important to Rigsby. He said he returned to his hometown of Magee to build his relationship with his son, Ryon. Ryon moved to Natchez when Rigsby took the Natchez High School job in July. Ryon plays for Rigsby, and he wants to emulate Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell. Rigsby thinks his son is built more like a linebacker.

”I went back home, basically, to get with my son,” Rigsby said. “I have him now, and that’s a great thing.”

When it comes to his coaching, Rigsby doesn’t play the cliché job interview game. He doesn’t have a five-year plan or a ten-year plan — not for himself or for Natchez High football. He referred back to his metaphorical batter’s eye, swinging for the fences as often as he can.

Rigsby does, however, have big goals for his players and ambitions as a coach. He has a daily routine to gauge his ambition and keep himself hungry.

“Every day, I wake up and think about three things that I’ll face that day,” Rigsby said. “I think about possibilities, about opportunities and about challenges. And a challenge is also an opportunity to show your greatness.

“It might take one year or 1 million years, we just want to be the best. The standard is the standard.”