South Florida‘s Amir Abdur-Rahim, one of the brightest young coaches in college basketball, died Thursday at age 43, the school announced.
Abdur-Rahim was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital when he died due to complications that arose, the school said.
“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” USF athletic director Michael Kelly said in a statement. “He was authentic, driven, and his infectious personality captivated all of Bulls Nation. Coach Abdur-Rahim leaves a lasting impact on our student-athletes, the University, and the community. We are supporting those closest to him, including his family, team, and athletics staff, to ensure they have the resources they need to deal with this tremendous loss.”
Abdur-Rahim guided the South Florida men’s team to one of the biggest turnarounds in the country last season, leading the Bulls to a program-record 25 wins and their first American Athletic Conference regular-season title. Prior to Abdur-Rahim taking over in 2023, the school had never finished .500 in the AAC and had ended above .500 overall just once since 2012. He was selected as the AAC Coach of the Year.
The Bulls were also ranked in the men’s AP Top 25 for the first time in school history, earning a spot for two weeks in late February and early March.
“I asked [Kelly], ‘You afraid of heights?'” Abdur-Rahim said at his introductory news conference in March 2023. “‘Because you’re going to have to get up on that ladder one day to cut down those nets.'”
Abdur-Rahim spent four seasons at Kennesaw State before moving to South Florida, leading the Owls to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2023. He was the architect of a dramatic program rebuild, going from one win in his first season at the helm to 26 in his final campaign. He won the Hugh Durham Award in 2023, given annually to the nation’s best mid-major coach, and was named ASUN Coach of the Year.
“There are people that have been here that care about this program. It was a place with no identity but was on the cusp of being able to do something real special,” Abdur-Rahim told ESPN after Kennesaw State won the Atlantic Sun tournament.
“It’s nuts, to be honest with you.”
Abdur-Rahim is the younger brother of former California star and NBA veteran Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who is now president of the NBA G League.
A longtime assistant coach, Abdur-Rahim spent time on staffs at Georgia, Texas A&M, Charleston, Georgia Tech and Murray State. While on Tom Crean’s staff at Georgia, the Atlanta native helped the Bulldogs sign top-five recruit Anthony Edwards, who went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
Before Abdur-Rahim left Georgia for Kennesaw State, he called Edwards to get his blessing.
“Signing a guy like Anthony, that’s a relationship that had been four years building and in the making. There were people around it that I had real relationships with that trusted myself and the coaching staff at Georgia, that trusted me to be there,” Abdur-Rahim said on the “Coaching Origins” podcast in 2022. “Before I accepted the job, I called a few people, I called Anthony and I just said, ‘Hey man, I got this opportunity, but if you need me here, I’ll stay. I’m perfectly OK with it.’
“I wouldn’t have been able to recruit the players that I’ve recruited if it weren’t for those, I call them, real relationships. Whether I got the kid or not. That person over there was going to be OK with me no matter what, and I was going to be OK with them.”
Abdur-Rahim played for Billy Kennedy — whom he would later coach under at Murray State and Texas A&M — for three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana. He was a three-time All-Southland selection and finished in the top 10 in program history for points, 3-pointers made and steals.
“In a very short time, Coach Abdur-Rahim made an indelible impact on the University of South Florida. In his first season as our head coach, he brought an unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped generate unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation,” USF president Rhea Law said. “Throughout my time working with Coach Abdur-Rahim, I was continually inspired by his leadership, and truly admired his sincere approach to connecting with our entire student body. His influence on our student-athletes, coaching staff and the university community will live on forever.”
Abdur-Rahim is survived by his wife, Arianne, and their three children: daughters Laila and Lana and son Aydin.
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