NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Colemans and Commodores go hand-in-hand. They are family members and Maury products who share the bond of basketball.
"We'll throw the clipboard at one another and say 'alright, you've got three seconds, you want to get a three off, draw up a play,'" said Cliff Coleman. "That's kind of something that we do anyway."
It's in the family's blood. Cliff passed down the love of the game to the next generation.
"I was still running behind the basketball, then I got into coaching," he recalled. "They were in the gym with me early and often."
He's referring to his sons, Matt and Chase, who followed in his footsteps to stardom at Maury. Cliff is currently the head coach at Bryant and Stratton College in Virginia Beach. Matt starred at Texas and currently plays professionally in Greece, but made a national name for himself during his time in a Commodore uniform. However, it's the youngest Coleman, Chase, who was able to grab a big prize that eluded his other family members.
"I went to Maury, Matt went to Maury, and [Chase] was the one to win a state championship," smiled the elder Coleman. "That's bragging rights at the dinner table."
"Once he really believed in himself and knew that 'hey, I can do as good or I can do even better than what my brother did in high school,' it took us off and we were able to accomplish that state championship," added Maury head coach Brandon Plummer.
After his days as a Commodore came to a close, it was time for Chase to choose a college program. He picked Tony Bennett and Virginia.
"Him being a part of that culture kind of drew him to that stronger to say 'this is what I want to do and I can learn from this staff and this program,'" Cliff recalled.
Learning is key to the path Chase is hoping to take. This season has seen him play in seven games, averaging one point per contest, but Coleman isn't looking to break the box score. He has his eyes on becoming a coach.
"Once Chase made his mind up that he wanted to go into coaching, what better coach to learn from than Tony Bennett?," asked Plummer.
Bennett has high praise for Coleman and his efforts as well.
"He's going to be a tremendous coach," the head Cavalier noted. "He wants to coach. He's gifted in that way and he's a part of our playing/coaching staff. I rely on him in games, I talk to him, 'what do you see, Chase?,' how he helps us out."
Now a senior, the younger Coleman will get the chance to take the NCAA Tournament stage. He may make a bigger impact with his voice from the bench rather than his minutes on the court and it's an opportunity for him to make the most of March Madness.
"It's awesome," Cliff said of his son in the Big Dance. "Any time you can go into March Madness with a chance to move through the tournament, it's a good feeling for everybody involved."
While he's currently enjoying March as a player, it may not be long before Chase is calling the shots of his own program.
"I can tell you one thing. If there was ever a top candidate when I walk away from Maury High School, he will be that top candidate for me to take over," Plummer said. "I would love for him to step in that position."
"If you can look into the crystal ball and you can see him coaching at that level, Power Five level, now or in the future, and then to look back say 'OK, he was doing it already' and now he's just showing the world that he can do it," said his father.
Virginia is the number four seed in the South Region and opens up its NCAA Tournament schedule on Thursday against Furman in Orlando, Florida. Tipoff is set for 12:40 PM.
