Amir Abdur-Rahim dies at 43, USF mourns tragic loss of basketball coach
The University of South Florida men's basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim passed away on Thursday, the school announced. The 43-year-old died due to complications during a medical procedure.
Amir Abdur-Rahim took over the USF program in 2023 and led the team to a 25-8 record in his first year. They won the regular-season AAC championship but missed a spot in March Madness.
USF vice president for athletics, Michael Kelly praised Rahim in a statement, saying:
"All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim. 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."
Amir Abdur-Rahim is survived by his wife and three children. He is the younger brother of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, former NBA player and current president of the NBA G League.
USF president Rhea Law highlighted his time at the school, saying he "made an indelible impact" on the university. She also praised the impact he had on the entire community.
"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."
Amir Abdur-Rahim's college and professional career record
Amir Abdur-Rahim began his college playing career at Garden City CC in 2000 before transferring to Southeastern Louisiana in 2001. He stayed with the team for the next three years.
Abdur-Rahim was named to the All-Southland Conference selection and led the team in scoring for three straight seasons. He finished as the Lions' seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,282 points. He led the team from a 7-20 record to 20-9, winning the regular-season conference title in his senior year.
After graduating from college, Amir Abdur-Rahim took up the assistant coach position at Murray State before working his way through various schools, including Georgia Tech, College of Charleston, Georgia, and Texas A&M. Abdur-Rahim's first head coach position was at Kennesaw State, from 2019 to 2023.
After a difficult first three seasons with the Owls, including a 1-28 debut campaign, Abdur-Rahim led them to a 26-9 record in his fourth and final season. They won the regular season and conference tournament titles and went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.