He mostly runs the scout team. But former Maury High star Chase Coleman has no regrets about staying at UVA.

If they retired scout team jerseys, Chase Coleman’s would one day hang in the rafters at Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena.

For four years, Coleman, a senior from Maury High, has been a fixture on Virginia’s “green” team, which prepares the starters by mimicking the Cavaliers’ opponents in practice.

On the surface, it’s hardly a unique role. Every college squad has a scout team, usually made up of walk-ons, redshirts and younger players who rarely play in games.

By all accounts, though, Coleman has taken the role to another level.

“He’s like a coach, honestly,” says guard Kihei Clark.

“Another coach out there,” echoes forward Ben Vander Plas.

“Part of our playing/coaching staff,” confirms coach Tony Bennett.

Coleman watches film with coaches and provides input on scouting reports. He knows he’s done his job well when the green team makes Bennett see red, by carving up the starters in practice with sheer hustle and crisp execution.

“Coach Bennett loves to say, ‘The job for the green team is to make me mad that day,’ and that’s all I try to do,” Coleman said.

As he wraps up his playing career at Virginia, Coleman can take satisfaction in a job well done. He’s accomplished what he set out to do — get a UVA degree and an advanced basketball education, from one of the nation’s top coaching staffs.

“Knowing the route I wanted to take, I was able to take it and make the most of it,” he said. “Now I’m in a position where I’m in control of my own destiny of what I want to do in the future.”

Coleman wants to coach. It’s why he chose walking on at UVA, where it was unlikely he would play much, over offers from Division II schools, where he likely would have rarely come off the floor. If that seems like an unusually self-aware and mature decision for a high school senior to make, you have to consider Coleman’s background, which gave him a perspective not many players have.

Coleman is the son of a long-time coach, Cliff Coleman, now head coach at Bryant & Stratton College; and the younger brother of former Virginia Gatorade Player of the year Matt Coleman, a Maury and Oak Hill Academy star who was a four-year starter at Texas and now plays professionally in Greece.

Growing up in a basketball family, Coleman realized from a young age that his path would be different than his brother’s.

“My brother was a top-30 guy coming out of high school,” Coleman said. “He was one of those guys, where, if a big name was being talked about, they were usually talking about Matt.

“I wasn’t that person. I knew that my mind could take me further than my physical ability could.”

It took him to Virginia, where Bennett and assistant coach Jason Williford knew a sharp basketball mind when they saw one. They invited Coleman to walk on. He chose the Cavaliers over Virginia State, a perennial contender in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

“That was a tough decision, because they’re good,” he said. “I was stuck in between, but I saw my long-term goal and that made my decision easier.”

It didn’t hurt that Virginia was coming off an NCAA championship. The 5-foot-10 Coleman played in 17 games as a freshman, for a total of 87 minutes. He’s appeared in another 16 games in the three years since, including on Senior Day against Louisville March 4, when he hit a step-back 3-pointer that delighted a JPJ crowd that had been chanting: “We want Chase! We want Chase!”

Far more often, Coleman’s contributions go unnoticed by fans. They’re subtle, but important. In the moments after a timeout is called, for example, when coaches are huddling before addressing the team, Coleman will tap a teammate on the shoulder and offer him input on what he’s seeing from the bench. More times than not, coaches will then relay the same message, Vander Plas said.

“Chase is just spot on,” he said. “His ability to see the game is really good and it’s really helpful for us.”

Other times, Coleman’s perch at the end of the bench and his perspective as a player might cause him to see something slightly different than what coaches see. That’s also helpful, Clark said.

“He’s just somebody you can go to for advice on the court,” he said.

Bennett said he’s come to rely on Coleman for input during games.

“He’s made a huge impact on this team with his spirit. He’s encouraging. He’s competitive. He has a real sharp mind for the game. I’m so glad he decided four years ago — Hey, I want to come to UVA.”

Coleman has another decision to make. With a year of eligibility remaining, he could transfer and scratch an itch to play. “Get it out of my system,” he said.

Or Coleman could return to UVA, possibly as a graduate assistant coach.

Bennett said he’ll support Coleman either way, but that he’d love to have him back in Charlottesville.

“He’ll always be welcome here,” Bennett said.

Coleman said last week that he’s been leaning towards returning, but that he hasn’t decided. Bennett said Coleman is good enough to play elsewhere if he chooses that path. Whatever Coleman decides, Bennett said he has no doubt that Coleman will one day be a “tremendous” coach.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more than he’s given,” he said.