Amir Abdur-Rahim, the coach of South Florida’s men’s basketball program, has died. The tragic and unexpected news was announced Thursday by the university. He was 43 years old.
Abdur-Rahim “was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital when he passed away due to complications that arose during the procedure,” according to the school.
Abdur-Rahim had been a rising star in coaching in recent years and built up a tremendous name as a quick-fix wizard. Off the court, his reputation was highly regarded throughout the sport. The Bulls went 25-8 last season, Abdur-Rahim’s first with the program, winning the American Athletic Conference with a 16-2 mark and improving USF’s win total by 11 games from the previous year. The Bulls’ regular-season AAC title was the first in school history; the team’s 25 wins were also a single-season school record. Thanks to a school-best 15-game home winning streak, USF broke through in the AP Top 25 under Abdur-Rahim during the 2023-24 season, marking the first time in program history the school had notched such an achievement.
He quite literally changed broken programs for the better, doing it multiple times in a short window of his rapidly rising track in college basketball.
“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” USF athletic director Michael Kelly said. “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.”
Prior to being hired at USF, Abdur-Rahim coached Kennesaw State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023. In four years, he went from coaching a one-win program in his first season at Kennesaw State to overseeing a 26-9 group out of the ASUN that nearly upset Xavier in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In his four years at Kennesaw State, Abdur-Rahim’s teams at least doubled their win total from the prior season. Prior to Abdur-Rahim’s coaching job, no school had ever gone from a one-win season to making the NCAA Tournament in a four-season span.
With 18 years of coaching experience, Abdur-Rahim was widely respected and well-connected across college basketball. He won multiple coach-of-the-year honors at his multiple stops amid his rise in the profession. He was 70-82 in five seasons overall at USF and Kennesaw State.
His introductory press conference in 2023 is worth watching (15-minute mark), as it reveals so much of what made Abdur-Rahim such a magnetic presence.
A native of Marietta, Georgia, Abdur-Rahim was a 2004 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University. As a player, he was an All-Southland guard three times. He earned his master’s from Murray State. He was a rising assistant for years prior to his promotion to guiding Kennesaw State’s program, notably helping land future No. 1 NBA pick Anthony Edwards when Abdur-Rahim was on staff at the University of Georgia.
Abdur-Rahim was the younger brother of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who spent 13 seasons in the NBA.
Amir Abdur-Rahim is survived by his wife, Arianne Buchanan, and three young children: daughters Laila and Lana, and son Aydin.
