Coach

Olean High School

Jeffrey “Jeff” Anastasia was born in Olean, New York in 1959.  He graduated from Olean High School in 1977, Lock Haven State College in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, and St. Bonaventure University with a master’s degree in Reading. 

Jeff has been coaching at Olean High School since 1983.  From 1983 to 1988 he coached freshman, junior varsity, and assisted at the varsity level in football.  He coached junior high basketball from 1982 to 1983, freshman basketball from 1983-1986, and junior varsity basketball from 1986 to 1987.  From 1987 to present day, Jeff has coached the varsity basketball team.  Over the past 29 years as varsity basketball coach, his teams amassed 536 wins and 133 losses, won the State Championship in both 2008 and 2016, participated in the State Class B Final three times and the State Final 4 six times, and won twelve Section VI titles and 18 Chautauqua Cattaraugus Athletic Association titles.  During the 2015-2016 season, his team set an Olean High School record with the most wins and the most consecutive wins (28) in the school’s history.

Jeff is a recipient of a number of coaching awards including the Bob Johnson Memorial Cattaraugus County Boys Coach of the Year Award (1990-1991), the Thomas K. Oakley Big 30 Coach of the Year Award (1994-1995, 1998-1999, 2002-2003, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, and 2007-2008), the BCANY Section VI Coach of the Year (1996, 2003, 2008, 2009, and 2012), the BCANY-New Balance N.Y.S. Boys Coach of the Year (2008), the BCANY Coach of the Year Class B (2010, 2013, and 2014), the BCANY CCAA League Coach of the Year (2012 and 2013), the BCANY Service Award for 25 Years of Coaching, the Centercourt Coach of the Year (2014 and 2016), and the Section VI Coaches Sportsmanship Award.  He has also received BCANY Recognition Awards for 100, 200, 300, 400, & 500  victories as well as been inducted into the Olean High School Wall of Fame, the Cattaraugus Hall of Fame, and the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame.  In recognition of his service and contributions to his community, he has  received the Olean Service to Youth Award, the Good News Award, and the Community Foundation  Friends of the Foundation Honoree Award (2014).

In addition to his many years of service to Olean High School, Jeff has served as a CCAA League Chairperson and Section VI committee member.  Outside of his profession, Jeff is significantly involved in making other contributions to the sport of basketball.  He organized and directed the city summer recreation basketball program (holding clinics for both boys and girls), he was a Big 30 Committee member, he served on the BCANY panel at their annual clinic in 2008, and is a guest speaker for many different youth tournaments.  In 1990, he was instrumental in starting the Olean High School Tip-Off  Tournament and continues to organize it to this day. 

Currently, Jeff is a k-3 physical education teacher for the Olean City School District.  His interests involve the Olean Oilers baseball team and Diesel football team and assisting the Community Foundation in selecting students to receive the Tyler Bihler Memorial Scholarship.  He is married to Barbara and has four children; a son, Michael, a daughter, Danielle, and two stepsons, Mike and Jeff.