Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida Basketball Coach, Dies at 43

Mar. 15, 2025

Amir Abdur-Rahim during a press conference on March 16, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina.Photo:Mitchell Layton/Getty

Mitchell Layton/Getty

The University of South Florida’s head men’s basketball coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, is dead. He was 43.

According to anannouncementposted on the school’s athletics website, Abdur-Rahim was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital “when he passed away due to complications that arose during the procedure.”

Abdur-Rahim wasnamed the basketball team’s head coach in March 2023. Last winter, during his first season with the USF Bulls, he led the team to their first-ever championship in the regular season and was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. It was also the first time they ranked in the top 25 during the regular season.

The team ended the season with a 25-8 recordafter four consecutive losing seasons.

USF President Rhea Law shared similar sentiments, expressing in astatementthat Abdur-Rahim “made an indelible impact” on the university “in a very short time.”

Amir Abdur-Rahim during a game on March 17, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina.Jacob Kupferman/Getty

Jacob Kupferman/Getty

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Vice President for Athletics, Michael Kelly, said Abdur-Rahim had an “authentic,” “driven,” and “infectious personality” that captivated the university and left a “lasting impact.”

Amir Abdur-Rahim during a game on March 15, 2024 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty

Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty

Before arriving at the USF, Abdur-Rahim was the head coach at Kennesaw State University in Georgia for four seasons. There, he helped lead the team to its first appearance in March Madness after winning the 2023 Atlantic Sun regular season and tournament titles, according to apress release from KSU.

He is remembered for “doubling the program’s win total every season,” culminating in a postseason run “that captured the hearts of Owl Nation.”

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source: people.com