Inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame last year, Zdebski leaves Western after guiding the Warriors to 160 wins, 17 playoff appearances, five semifinal games, two state championship game appearances and the  Division 1 state title in 1999.

Zdebski said a desire to be in warmer weather and coach in a state with organized spring football were two perks that intrigued him about the job in suburban Phoenix, and the timing was right given he is about to complete his 30th year of teaching in the Walled Lake district and will be eligible for a retirement pension.

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Mike Zdebski leaves Western after guiding the Warriors to 160 wins, two state championship game appearances and a Division 1 state title in 1999. (Photo: Nate Smallwood DFP)

Zdebski is somewhat going in blind, given he has no family or ties to Arizona and hasn’t vacationed there frequently.

“No ties,” Zdebski said. “We just like the area. My wife likes to hike and there are plenty of mountains.”

News of the hire broke with an article by the Arizona Republic, which resulted in Zdebski’s phone being bombarded on Saturday by friends, coaches, players, alums and others.

“They said they were going to make a little press release on Twitter,” Zdebski said. “It was out there in about 30 seconds. The phone has been nonstop.”

Zdebski was still in Arizona on Saturday, but plans on flying back to Michigan on Sunday and will have a formal meeting with players on Monday.

Zdebski said he has some “loose ends to tie” in regards to finishing his teaching contract with Western and will move to Arizona full-time at the end of the school year to get to know players at Chandler Hamilton.

Also a longtime track coach at the school, Zdebski said he won’t be coaching track at Western this spring.