Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 994-6651
Maurice Joseph enters his third season at the helm of the George Washington men's basketball program in 2018-19.
Joseph served at the helm of a program that won 20 games in his first season and qualified for postseason play with a roster that included eight newcomers.
Joseph has played a key role in developing three players who have gone on to play in the NBA for three consecutive seasons. He mentored Olympian and NBA player Patricio Garino who earned All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2015-16 after averaging career bests in scoring (14.1 ppg) and three-point shooting (.430), leading the league in the latter category during the regular season. Joseph also coached forward Tyler Cavanaugh, who is in his second NBA season, and guard Yuta Watanabe who is in his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The youngest head coach in a Top 10 RPI conference, Joseph engineered a 10-8 conference record in the Atlantic 10 in 2016-17 that included five consecutive wins to finish the regular season. After being picked to finish eighth by conference coaches, the Colonials finished sixth in 2016-17 with a win over regular season champion Dayton in the regular season finale.
An elite shooter in his playing days at Michigan State and Vermont, Joseph was instrumental in the Colonials being the most accurate three-point shooting team in the Atlantic 10 in 2016-17.
Joseph, who played under Hall of Fame Coach Tom Izzo at Michigan State before transferring to Vermont where he served as a two-year captain, has been on the GW staff for six seasons, the last four of which saw the program advance to one NCAA Tournament, two NIT berths, and a CBI appearance, including the 2016 NIT Championship.
"It brings me great excitement and pride to hear that Maurice Joseph will lead the George Washington program," Izzo said. "He entered Michigan State as an intelligent player with great people skills, and would quickly develop the discipline and toughness that will serve him well in his new role. There's not a doubt in my mind that he is incredibly well suited to lead the Colonials. I've loved watching him grow as a coach and I know his journey has positioned him for success. He understands how to tackle the adversity that comes with the coaching profession. Perhaps most importantly, he is great at building and maintaining relationships with players, administration, alumni and media. That's why I'm looking forward to watching the next step in his bright young coaching career."
A native of Montreal, Quebec, Joseph began his collegiate playing career at Michigan State in 2005 where he helped the Spartans make two NCAA Tournament appearances. He transferred to the University of Vermont in 2007 and led the Catamounts to 24 wins in 2009 and 25 wins in 2010, including an America East Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. That season, Joseph was the team's second-leading scorer (13.9 ppg) while shooting a career-best .374 (77-206) from three-point range. He also ranked second in the America East in free throw percentage (.848) in 2009-10. Joseph also had a decorated prep career at Champlain-St. Lambert in Montreal, where as a senior in 2005, he was named Canada's National Player of the Year.
The older brother of former Syracuse standout and 2012 NBA draftee Kris Joseph, Maurice played professionally in Israel with Hapoel Afula, before dedicating himself to the coaching profession. Upon his arrival at GW, where he met his wife, Kristen, Joseph enrolled and earned a Master's degree in Education and Human Development. Maurice and Kristen reside in Arlington, Va.
