Born in Enola, Pennsylvania, Kanaskie grew up in nearby Mechanicsburg and attended Cumberland Valley High School, in which he was an all-state basketball player.

[4][5] In the 1980 NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Kanaskie as the second pick in the eighth round, 162nd overall.

[6] That year, Kanaskie became a college basketball assistant coach at South Carolina under Bill Foster.

[7] After five years in that position, Kanaskie served as head coach at Division II Lock Haven University from 1985 to 1988.

[7][8] Kanaskie led IUP to its first-ever NCAA tournament in 1994 and earned two more West Division PSAC Coach of the Year honors in 1994 and 1995.

[7][9] Kanaskie moved up to the Division I level as head coach at Drake University, a position he held from 1996 to 2003.