Six times, Tipp Nutt walked into someone’s office to interview for a job as a head baseball coach. Each time, he walked away with a polite rejection and the hope that next time would be different.

Earlier this month he started down the job-hunting path once again, for the last time this summer, and finally heard the magic word “yes.”

Nutt, who has been an assistant at Warren Central since 2004, has been hired as the head baseball coach at Ackerman High School. It’s the first head coaching job for the 35-year-old who had interviewed for a half-dozen other gigs in the past three years — including Vicksburg High in 2011 and Warren Central earlier this summer. He estimated he’d applied for at least twice that many.

“I’m pretty excited about it. I hate to leave the Warren Central family and the boys I coached, but it’s exciting,” Nutt said. “I’ve been wanting to be a head coach for about three years now, and I didn’t want to let the opportunity pass me by.”

Nutt interviewed for WC’s head coaching job after Josh Abraham resigned in early July. Fellow WC assistant Conner Douglas was hired last week. Nutt, however, stressed that his desire to be a head coach, and not any hard feelings, led to his decision to head to Ackerman.

Nutt said he applied for the Ackerman job about a week after Abraham stepped down and was offered the position early last week. He accepted Thursday.

“I wasn’t going to apply for any more jobs, but since I’d already started the ball rolling I thought I’d see it through,” Nutt said. “I’m not leaving because I didn’t get the head coaching job with Warren Central. I‘ve enjoyed being here in Vicksburg for eight years. Enjoyed being in the community, and down the road I may be back. I’m certainly not opposed to it.”

Nutt’s departure leaves WC with three coaches on its baseball staff — Douglas, assistant Brad Babb, and newly hired Jody Britt, who assumed Douglas’ assistant coach position. WC principal Jamie Creel said he plans to fill Nutt’s position and maintain the four-member staff.

Nutt worked with WC’s infielders and hitters, and also served as the team’s statistician.

Douglas said he was sad to see Nutt leave, but happy to see his friend get the opportunity he’s coveted for so long.

“It’s awesome. I’m so proud of him,” Douglas said. “He was contemplating not going because of what Warren Central meant to him. But when you get your shot, you have to take it.”

Nutt will have his work cut out for him at Ackerman. The team won the 2009 Class 2A championship but went just 14-27 the past two seasons. Of more immediate concern is Nutt’s other job at Ackerman. He’ll also serve as an assistant football coach, and practice for that season begins next Monday.

Although there’s not much time to adjust to his new surroundings, Nutt said it was time to find out if he could make it as the leader of a program.

“It’s definitely a better opportunity and to see if being a head coach is for me. I’ve been an assistant for eight years and it’s time to take a swing,” he said.