(This story has been updated with new information).
South Florida men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died on Thursday, as originally reported by the Tampa Bay Times and confirmed by the university.
Abdur-Rahim, 43, was about to enter his second year with the Bulls. According to the Tampa Bay Times, he was battling an undisclosed illness. Abdur-Rahim is the younger brother of NBA star Shareef Abdur-Rahim and was considered a rising star in coaching college basketball.
Per a news release from South Florida, Abdur-Rahim was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital when he died due to complications that arose during the procedure.
‘All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,’ said USF athletic director Michael Kelly in a statement. ‘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.’
Said USF president Rhea Law:
‘In a very short time, Coach Abdur-Rahim made an indelible impact on the University of South Florida. In his first season as our head coach, he brought an unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped generate unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation. 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.’
AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti also issued a statement after news of Abdur-Rahim’s passing. Said Pernetti, in part:
‘We are devastated to hear of the tragic passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim. In only five years as a head coach, Amir established himself as one of the best in college basketball, winning championships in two conferences and taking both South Florida and Kennesaw State to unprecedented levels of success.
‘More impressively, he won the right way, with class and grace, and was a true leader among his colleagues and student-athletes. He embodied the greater mission of education through athletics in every way.’
In his first season with the Bulls during the 2023-24 college basketball season, they went 25-8 and won the American Athletic Conference regular-season title for the first time. However, USF did not make it to the NCAA Tournament. Before taking the job with USF, Abdur-Rahim earned acclaim across college basketball for turning around the Kennesaw State basketball program.
The Owls went just 1-28 in his first season, but he helped the team improve to 5-19 in 2020-21, 13-18 in 2021-22 and 26-9 in 2022-23, a season in which they made the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Following the tournament berth, Abdur-Rahim was hired as the USF coach on March 29, 2023.
