The University of South Florida basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim has died at age 43 after facing complications from a medical procedure. USF athletic director Michael Kelly announced the tragic news in a statement, saying the beloved coach 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,” Kelly stated, per ESPN. “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 Abdur-Rahim’s leadership, the Bulls posted a program-record 25 wins a season ago. The team also secured its first American Athletic Conference regular-season title in that season. South Florida never finished .500 in the AAC before Abdur-Rahim took over in 2023. The AAC Coach of the Year guided the team to the AP Top 25 for the first time ever.
Abdur-Rahim came to South Florida with a decorated resume. At Kennesaw State, Abdur-Rahim led a major rebuild for the program. The Owls only had one win in Abdur-Rahim’s first season as head coach, but they earned 26 victories in his fourth campaign. In 2023, Abdur-Rahim earned the Hugh Durham Award. The honor is given annually to the best mid-major coach in the country. He was also named ASUN Coach of the Year in the same season.
“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 when Kennesaw State won the Atlantic Sun tournament. “It’s nuts, to be honest with you.”
Abdur-Rahim, who is the younger brother of NBA veteran Shareef Abdur-Rahim, also worked as an assistant coach at Georgia, Texas A&M, Charleston, Georgia Tech and Murray State.
The veteran coach is survived by his wife, Arianne, as well as his daughters Laila and Lana and son Aydin.
