USF’s Amir Abdur-Rahim, a rising star in coaching ranks, dies at 43

<p>The University of South Florida announced Thursday that men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim has died at age 43. According to the school, he succumbed to what were described as complications from a medical procedure he was undergoing at a Tampa-area hospital.</p> <p>Viewed by many as a rising star in the coaching ranks, Abdur-Rahim was set to enter his second season with USF after his debut campaign with the Bulls produced the program’s first regular season American Athletic Conference title. At his previous stop, he guided Kennesaw State to unprecedented success.</p> <p>“In a very short time, Coach Abdur-Rahim made an indelible impact on the University of South Florida,” Rhea Law, the university’s president, said in a statement. “In his first season as our head coach, he brought an unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped generate unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation. 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.”</p> <p>“This is truly a terrible tragedy,” George Washington men’s basketball coach Chris Caputo said in a social media post. “Amir was a good man and an excellent coach. Please pray for him and his family. RIP Coach.”</p> <p>The younger brother of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, a former NBA player who is now the G League’s president, Amir Abdur-Rahim grew up in the Atlanta area before playing three seasons of Division I basketball at Southeastern Louisiana. A standout guard with the Lions, Abdur-Rahim was coached there by Billy Kennedy, and after Kennedy took over the program at Murray State, Abdur-Rahim began his own coaching career at that school.</p> <p>After five seasons with the Racers, he had a brief stint as Georgia Tech’s director of player development, then made stops as an assistant coach at the College of Charleston, Texas A&amp;M - where he again was on Kennedy’s staff - and Georgia.</p> <p>Hired by Kennesaw State in 2019 for his first head coaching opportunity, Abdur-Rahim found himself at the helm of a men’s program that had not had a winning record since elevating to the Division I level 14 years earlier. The Owls won just one game in his first season and five in the next before notching 13 in his third year. The following season saw Abdur-Rahim engineer a breakthrough with a KSU squad that went 26-9, won the Atlantic Sun regular season and conference titles, and made its first trip to the NCAA tournament.</p> <p>Before Abdur-Rahim arrived at South Florida, it had never notched a .500 record in conference play since joining the AAC in 2013. He immediately produced a 16-2 mark against conference foes, and the Bulls’ 25 wins overall were a record for the program. USF was also ranked for the first time in the Associated Press top 25. For his impressive efforts, Abdur-Rahim was voted as the AAC’s coach of the year, just as he was honored in the Atlantic Sun the year before.</p> <p>In June, USF signed Abdur-Rahim to a contract extension that ran through the 2029-30 season and reportedly included a sizable pay raise.</p> <p>“To be able to call a place home, for your daughters and your kids to know that their friends are pretty much going to be the same for 'x' amount of years, it’s a big deal,” Abdur-Rahim said shortly after agreeing to that pact. “Because stability’s important, but people believing in your vision is unbelievably important.”</p> <p>This season’s Bulls were picked to finish third in the conference in a coaches’ poll. They start play next week with an exhibition game against Division II Edward Waters, then tip off the regular season Nov. 4 against Florida. There was no immediate word on who would serve as the team’s interim head coach.</p> <p>Saying he was “devastated by the sudden passing” of Abdur-Rahim, USF football coach Alex Goshen described him as “an outstanding man, husband, father and leader who brought tremendous positive energy to all he encountered.”</p> <p>“My heart breaks for his wife, Arianne, his three children, extended family and many friends,” Goshen wrote in a social media post. “My prayers and those of our entire football program are with them as well as his players and staff during this incredibly difficult time. Rest in Peace my brother!”</p>