USF men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, a rising star in the collegiate coaching ranks, died Thursday after a battle with an aggressive illness, according to the Tampa Bay Times. He was 43 years old.
USF later confirmed the news, revealing that Abdur-Rahim due to complications from a medical procedure. Abdur-Rahim is survived by his wife and their three children.
We are heartbroken over the passing of Coach Abdur-Rahim.
A tremendous man & leader with an infectious personality that was a shining light to all he encountered.
Our thoughts & prayers are with his family, friends and everyone that he left a lasting impact on. pic.twitter.com/h353f3FNno
— USF Men’s Basketball (@USFMBB) October 24, 2024
A former all-conference player at Southeastern Louisiana, Abdur-Rahim spent more than a decade as an assistant coach at Murray State, College of Charleston, Texas A&M and Georgia before getting his first gig as a head coach with Kennesaw State in 2019.
He took over a moribund program that had not made the NCAA Tournament in its history since making the jump to Division I in 2005. The team posted a 1-28 record in his first season, but it improved in every season with him at the helm.
The Owls improved to 5-19, then 13-18, then finally 26-9 in 2022-23, with Atlantic Sun titles in the regular season and conference tournament. They also put a scare into No. 3 seed Xavier in the first round of their first NCAA tournament berth, taking a 13-point lead in the second half before a cold streak on offense allowed the Musketeers to come back and avoid an upset.
It was one of the best coaching jobs in the country, earning Abdur-Rahim the Hugh Durham Award as the best coach of a mid-major program and a new job with a larger program at USF.
Success came even quick for Abdur-Rahim in Tampa. The Bulls went from 14-18 in 2022-23 to 25-8 last season, winning the program’s first conference regular season title and just missing an NCAA Tournament bid after an upset loss in the conference tournament.
From USF:
“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” said Vice President for Athletics, Michael Kelly. “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.”
With a track record like that, Abdur-Rahim was a name to watch for even bigger programs in the future. Instead, his story ended in tragedy weeks before his second season with USF was set to begin.
