(This story has been updated to add new information.)
TAMPA — Amir Abdur-Rahim came to the University of South Florida after leading his Kennesaw State basketball team to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. It’s fair to say there was some skepticism about his hiring because Bulls basketball was basically a wasteland at the time.
He promised that it would change. I wanted to believe him, but after years of relentless mediocrity, it didn’t seem likely. What would change look like, anyway?
Well, we got to see it.
In his first season at USF, we saw 25 wins and a regular-season American Athletic Conference championship. The Bulls had a 15-game winning streak at one point and made the national rankings for the first time.
We got to see him cut down the nets. There were sellout crowds at the Yuengling Center. He was the AAC Coach of the Year. USF basketball suddenly mattered.
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The future seemed unlimited.
But now, a little more than a week before the new season begins, the program and the university are shrouded in grief at the unfathomable news that Abdur-Rahim died Thursday while undergoing what was called a medical procedure.
He was 43, married, with three children.
In his brief time at USF, though, he left a lasting mark that was more about the man he was than about all the wins.
If you had a son, you wanted him to play for Abdur-Rahim
There was a magnetism to him and an unshakable positivity that extended beyond the basketball court. He was vibrant. If you had a son who played basketball, you wanted Abdur-Rahim to be his coach.
“In a very short time, Coach Abdur-Rahim made an indelible impact on USouthFlorida. 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 on X.
“Throughout my time working with Coach Abdur-Rahim, I was continually inspired by his incredible 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.”
College basketball programs around the state reached out on social media to pay their respects to Abdur-Rahim, including Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team, which put out this statement on X Thursday night.
“Not just a great coach and leader, Amir was so widely respected as an incredible human and family man. We have lost a friend and a rival.”
USF season opener is Nov. 4 vs. Florida in Jacksonville
There is a basketball season to be played, and USF’s first game is November 4 in Jacksonville against the Florida Gators. The Bulls also were scheduled to host Jacksonville’s Edward Waters College, an NCAA Division II program, in a preseason game on Oct. 30 at Tampa’s Yuengling Center.
According to a Florida basketball communications official, the opener has yet to be affected.
Still, I can’t imagine what that will be like for the players, coaches, and the entire athletic department as they try to process what just happened.
Yes, the Bulls just lost an excellent basketball coach who made the university and all its followers believe in what once seemed impossible.
More importantly, though, the greater Tampa Bay community and the sport of basketball lost one of its best human beings. He made people believe, and he made them feel valued.
That’s a legacy that lives forever.
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Joe Henderson, a longtime, award-winning Tampa Tribune sports columnist, has covered and followed the USF basketball program since the late 1970s. Florida Times-Union reporter Garry Smits contributed.
