It’s not often a coach in any sport steps down at the top of his game.
St. Mark's (Wilmington) wrestling coach Jay Bastianelli has done just that after seven seasons at the helm of arguably the state’s most successful wrestling program.
"As much as I have cherished every moment spent coaching the St. Mark's wrestling program, with the awesome student-athletes, parents, families and supporters, at this time I have decided to retire from coaching to pursue an administration position and to focus on my responsibilities and goals as a husband and hopefully one day as a father," Bastianelli, who is getting married this fall and is currently enrolled in classes to earn an administrative degree, wrote in an e-mail.
As a senior at St. Mark’s in 1997, Bastianelli won the 135-pound state championship as captain of a team coached by his uncle, Steve Bastianelli, who led the Spartans to 10 state championships during his own 23-year coaching tenure. Then, in 2003, after serving as an assistant for several years, Jay continued a family coaching tradition by following in the coaching footsteps of his uncle, who himself won four individual state championships wrestling on a Sussex Tech team coached by his father, Herm. Collectively, the three generations of coaches won 429 meets during a 50-year span.
"We are very appreciative of Jay’s dedication and hard work he put into this program," said St. Mark’s athletic director Tom Rosa, who stated there is no timeline to hire a new coach and that the St. Mark’s administration is currently meeting to determine the hiring process. "He ran the whole program and did such a great job organizing everything. We wish him the best in his education endeavors."
Bastianelli led the Spartans to a 78-22 dual-meet record and crowned 23 individual state champions during his tenure.
"In my eyes Jay had the proper mindset all along, which was to attempt to develop each wrestler in the program to the best of his ability," said Steve Bastianelli, currently athletic director at Newark High School. "By doing that he has not only continued on a fine tradition but also continued to raise the bar. Obviously I am very proud of Jay, but that being said, I am not surprised by his success. He has the work ethic and commitment that will lead to success in coaching or any other area."
St. Mark’s was 14-0 in dual meets this past season, winning its second consecutive state championship team title. In addition, four Spartans signed letters of intent to wrestle at major college programs.
"Jay has a great feel for the part of the job which involves talking to college coaches and helping those who are interested to attend a school that is a good match for them," Steve Bastianelli added.
And it’s not just his wrestlers Bastianelli took care of, but also many people who never stepped foot on a mat and yet helped make his program a success.
"Jay was very gracious in writing letters of recommendations and making phone calls for my daughter," says Marty Valania, whose daughter Kirsten, a freshman sports management major at Penn State, served as team manager for four years.
Bastianelli learned from his predecessors that the success of any sports program doesn’t stem solely from the head coach, but rather his ability to see the big picture; to build on a strong foundation already in place, while adding his own personal touch to add another layer of success. When asked about leaving his mark on the program, the seventh-grade social studies teacher talked more about what leading the Spartans did for him as a person than as a coach.
"This program has helped shape me into the person I am today. From being a fan as a little kid, to a wrestler for a legendary coach (Steve Bastianelli), to an assistant coach, and then eventually as the head coach, the pride I feel as a part of this program and its storied history, and bright future, will always be with me."
That bright future now includes the search for a new leader outside the Bastianelli family for the first time in 30 years. But Bastianelli is confident the program will go on without skipping a beat, adding: "I feel the program is in great shape and will continue to grow and thrive. The program is in great hands with all of the coaches and so many others that have helped and will continue to help make this wrestling team great. There is no doubt the St. Mark’s wrestling program’s best days are ahead of it."
Only time will tell if Bastianelli’s prediction is correct, and if the coach will once again follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle into a bigger arena – the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame. But for now, the third-generation coach is content with his decision and looking forward to life after coaching, yet at the same time resolved to the fact he’ll always be linked to the sport.
"I will always be involved in wrestling and I will always be proud to say I was a part of the St. Mark’s wrestling program. I look forward to being in the stands as a fan next year."
Jon Buzby is the sports columnist for the Newark Post, a freelance writer, and occasional color commentator for the 1290 AM The Ticket High School Football Game of the Week. You can reach him at jonbuzby@hotmail.com.
