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Jeff Goodman, ESPN Insider 7y

Maurice Joseph focused on season, not worried about full-time GW job

Men's College Basketball, Geo Washington Colonials

George Washington's Maurice Joseph, who received the interim coaching tag just prior to the start of practice, says he isn't focused on trying to land the job on a permanent basis.

Joseph, 31, was the surprise choice to take over the program for the current season when Mike Lonergan was fired last month after an internal investigation following allegations he verbally and emotionally abused his players.

Joseph, along with fellow assistants Hajj Turner and Carmen Maciariello, interviewed for the job. Joseph played two seasons at Michigan State before transferring to Vermont, where he played his final two years for Lonergan.

"I never got into the habit of looking down the road," Joseph told ESPN. "Maybe that's a gift and a curse. Maybe I should be thinking, 'Let's make the tournament, and I can get this job.' But I'm not. I really just want to have a good practice today."

Just days after receiving the news from athletic director Patrick Nero that he would be leading the program, Joseph flew out and spent a day with Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

"[Izzo] told me to be myself," Joseph said. "There's going to be advice from every angle, you've got to run this, change that -- run what you know and be yourself, don't waver from who you are or the guys will be able to see that. He said, 'Be yourself and teach what you know.'"

Joseph said that despite the perception, everything has run smoothly since he was given the interim tag on Sept. 18.

"From outside looking in, that might be the assumption," Joseph said. "Turmoil. Players from Day 1, since the day the news broke of Coach Lonergan, have been unified. It's remarkable how tightly knit they stayed."

"Our staff -- obviously it's an awkward situation," he added. "But those guys have been tremendous in terms of dealing with it. We've all taken the approach it's all hands on deck and there's no ego involved. The task at hand is really to take care of our guys who have gone through some adversity, going through a major change, and focus on getting better. There's no discussion from administration or my part in terms of the future."

Joseph inherits a team that lost three starters from a group that won 28 games and claimed the NIT title.

"It was surprising a little bit, but once I sat down and thought about it, it made a lot of sense," leading returning scorer Tyler Cavanaugh told ESPN of Joseph's selection as the interim. "He's been great -- young, positive, great energy. He's very positive energy. He's been really good -- drills running around the floor. It's a change. Coach Lonergan was old school. Especially for young guys, it's great to have a young coach leading us. Keeping us all together has been the big thing -- for the staff and the players."

"Everyone really respects [Joseph]," Colonials guard Jaren Sina added. "He's really brought energy, that's the one thing he's really emphasized. Been a buzz, new level of intensity and that's brought excitement. It's made for really fun practices."

Joseph said he won't make wholesale changes on the court, especially coming off last year's NIT championship and the success the program has had the past few years under Lonergan.

In five seasons under Lonergan, the Colonials were 97-70 and went to the NCAA tournament in 2014.

"We'll tweak some things defensively, schemes and positioning," Joseph said. "Offensively, we'll play with a little more tempo. But other than that, we had great sets. We'll put in some sets. We won the NIT. We're in a good spot in terms of being able to move forward."

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