George Washington University announced today Maurice Joseph as Head Men’s Basketball Coach.
“I am honored and grateful for the faith that Patrick Nero and the university has placed in me to continue to lead this program onward,” said Joseph. “There is a proud tradition at GW driven by decades of successful student-athletes both on and off the court, and it is a privilege to be tasked with the responsibility of mentoring our team moving forward.”
Joseph served at the helm of a program that won 20 games in 2016-17 and qualified for postseason play with a roster that included eight newcomers. Next season GW is slated to return six of its top eight scorers.
“Maurice has demonstrated that he is the right individual to lead our men’s basketball program,” stated Director of Athletics and Recreation Patrick Nero. “Our student-athletes respond well to his energy, passion and vision. I want to congratulate Maurice on this hard-earned opportunity. We’re confident that he will continue to recruit and retain the next generation of men’s basketball student-athletes and help their talents shine.”
The youngest Head Coach in a Top 10 RPI conference, Joseph engineered a 10-8 conference record in the Atlantic 10 this season that included five consecutive wins to finish the regular season. After being picked to finish 8th by conference coaches, the Colonials finished 6th in 2016-17 with a win over regular season champion Dayton in the regular season finale. In all, three GW freshmen combined to make 50 starts on the year as the Colonials move into next season with a roster that attained significant experience as the season progressed.
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 this season. He 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. Maurice played professionally in Israel with Hapoel Afula, before dedicating himself to the coaching profession, where his international roots and playing experience have been vital in attracting top talent from the around the world to GW.
Upon his arrival at GW, where he met his wife, Kristen, Joseph enrolled and earned a Master’s degree in Education and Human Development.
Joseph has inked a five-year deal to serve as Head Coach of GW men’s basketball.
