You don’t have to cue up Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild to know that Don Petranovich is an easy rider.

These days, the legendary former girls basketball coach and athletic director at Winslow High can be found riding around on his three-wheel Spyder motorcycle along with his new bride, Gerri, as he at long last enjoys the trappings of a well-deserved retirement.

At the close of the 2012-13 school year, Petranovich, stepped down as Winslow’s athletic director, three years after capping his coaching career with a seventh state championship (along with eight runners-up). He won a state-record 778 games (778-159) in 33 years as a coach, and was AD for 18.

Petranovich’s first wife and long-time confidant and supporter, Claylene, passed away in 2008. They had two sons.

Work filled most of his time, but a certain emptiness remained.

He met Gerri through a long-time friend in Grand Junction, Colo. They struck up a relationship and were married on June 15. Petranovich has moved to Grand Junction, where the couple will spend the summers, with a plan to spend much of the winters basking in the sun in Yuma.

So Petranovich, 72, is going global, well, at least his version of it.

In addition to the motorcycle, Petranovich will be playing some golf.

“I will miss the camaraderie of the other ADs, coaches, and of course, the kids. I’ll also miss working with the people with the AIA (Arizona Interscholastic Association),’’ said Petranovich, who was a member of the AIA’s Executive board from 2003-06.

“But it was time.’’

There was no such thing as a 40-hour work week in Petranovich’s time as a teacher, coach and administrator.

“I put in a lot of time for a long time,’’ he said. “There are a lot of things that go with those jobs, and now, I don’t have the headaches or the pressure.’’

Petranovich was born in Gallup, N.M., and moved to Winslow with his family at the age of 6.

He was a good athlete and played for legendary Winslow football coach Emil Nasser and baseball coach Carl Weatherton.

“They were like fathers to me, very influential, on philosophy of life, everything,’’ Petranovich said.

Although Winslow was and is a small town, Petranovich and his buddies found plenty to do when they weren’t playing sports.  Kids these days are the same in many ways, but they also are different. They don’t have as much discipline, he said, many coming from single-parent homes.

“You have to be able to change, adjust to things, and I feel like I did that,’’ he said.

Now he is free to get his motor running and head out on the highway.

Although we likely haven’t seen the last of Petranovich at high school sporting events, and that’s a good thing.