DEARBORN — Fordson High School head football coach Fouad “Walker” Zaban has announced his retirement after 18 years of leading the tractors.

Finishing his nearly two decade career with a 135-56 record, Zaban took the football program to the MHSAA state playoffs in 17 of his 18 seasons with the tractors. He has built a meaningful legacy not only within the walls of Fordson High School, but within the Dearborn community as well. He received an outpouring of love from the community when his retirement was announced on the city of Dearborn page with individuals commenting their heartfelt gratitude for his year of dedication to coaching.

Zaban told The Arab American News that his own coaches at Fordson played a role in his pursuit of becoming a coach. While attending Grand Valley State University, he recalled a summer visit home where his former coaches encouraged him to study education with the goal of eventually stepping into coaching. Years later, he then applied for the head coach position when Coach Stergalas decided to step down.

His first season with the Fordson Tractors was in 2007. Since then, Zaban has built a respected Michigan football program that has achieved great success, including three regional finals and a state semifinal appearance. His leadership has a fostered a culture that emphasizes perseverance, hard work, sportsmanship, family and virtue.

He recalled some of his favorite moments as head coach, sharing that his first season will always be an incredibly special one. He also highlighted various other key moments, including the playoff game victory over Cass Technical High School that ended their home winning streak and thrilling matchups against Churchill and Franklin High Schools, where Fordson clinched victory in the last few seconds.

Zaban is also featured in the documentary film Fordson: Faith, Fasting and Football, released in 2011. The documentary follows the lives of the predominantly Muslim football team at Fordson, exploring their efforts to hold onto their Islamic faith in the aftermath of post-9/11 America.

Throughout the documentary, Zaban’s unwavering dedication to the players is clearly evident. His deep devotion to supporting his team and equipping them with not just football skills, but valuable life lessons are an integral piece of his leadership.

He said he is most proud of the relationships he’s built through coaching.

“Obviously the most important relationships are with the players, and families and my coaches,” he said. “But the profession allowed me to grow as a person and build friendships with coaches and officials from around the state. So those bonds were not only with people from our community, they included people from all races, nationalities and religions.”

Zaban also had the opportunity to coach his own children during his tenure — his son on the football team and his daughters on their basketball team. He expressed how much he valued the chance to be with them in that capacity, but made sure to not show favoritism, treating them with the same fairness as all of his athletes.

“Coach Zaban’s impact on Fordson High School, the community and his players cannot be overstated,” said Fordson Athletic Director Rick Dorn in a report. “He set a standard of success that will inspire future generations.”

“I have been blessed and honored to have been a small part of this historic program,” Zaban said. “More importantly I thank Allah (set) dearly for blessing me with the opportunity to be around our youth. I also want to thank our community and parents for their unwavering support and for allowing me to do what I love.”