NATCHEZ — Natchez Bulldogs Head Football Coach Roy Rigsby has submitted his resignation after coaching for five years at Natchez High.

“The school asked me if I was coming back, and I told them no I wasn’t going to come back,” Rigsby said. “I have decided to resign due to family things going on that are more important this time.”

During a regularly scheduled meeting of the Natchez Adams School District Board of Trustees Tuesday, Superintendent Fred Butcher said the district received 21 applications for the head coach’s position at Natchez High, including six out of state applications.

Rigsby said Tuesday that he is going to continue teaching Social Studies and Special Education for the Natchez-Adams School District for as long as he can.

Rigsby has coached high school football for 17 years. In Rigsby’s five-year coaching career with Natchez High beginning in 2014, his overall record with the Bulldogs is 27-41. Rigsby led the Bulldogs to two winning record seasons, one in 2017 (6-5) and again in 2018 (7-6).

In the 2018 season, the Bulldogs advanced to the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A playoffs. Natchez High lost 55-8 to Picayune Memorial High School in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.

This season, the Bulldogs finished 4-7 and sixth place in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A Region 3 standings. Natchez was one win away from heading to the Class 5A playoffs but lost 43-40 to South Jones High School in the final game of the season.

Butcher said each applicant considered for Natchez High head coach position would be interviewed and reviewed by a selection committee — comprised of Butcher and other coaches and administrators.

Butcher said the school board could host a special-called meeting to approve the new hire if the committee is able to make a selection before the next regularly scheduled board meeting which will be Jan. 21.

“We want to take our time, because its time that we found the right somebody to fill this position,” Butcher said.