Amir Abdur-Rahim: USF AD releases statement on death of men's basketball coach

USF athletics director Michael Kelly released a statement Thursday night after news broke of the death of men’s basketball head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim. The university said he passed away due to complications during a procedure at a Tampa-area hospital.

Abdur-Rahim took over at USF in 2023 after an impressive run at Kennesaw State. He immediately turned the Bulls around, leading them to a 25-8 record and an American Athletic Conference title one year after finishing 14-18 under former coach Brian Gregory. USF missed out on the NCAA Tournament, but still made the second round of the NIT.

Kelly reflected on the impact the coach had during his short time with the Bulls and the legacy he leaves behind. He, like many, expressed his condolences to Abdur-Rahim’s family.

“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” 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.”

USF president Rhea Law also released a statement on Abdur-Rahim’s death. She reflected on their relationship and the efforts he made to reach out to the students after taking over as head coach.

“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,” Law said. “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.”

Kennesaw State was Abdur-Rahim’s first head coaching opportunity when he took the job in 2019. The Owls struggled mightily in his first season, finishing just 1-28, but he built the program into an NCAA Tournament team by 2022. They won five games in 2020-21 and 13 games in 2021-22 before breaking through in 2022-23 with a 26-9 record to make their first-ever March Madness appearance.

After a loss to Xavier – a game Kennesaw State nearly won – Abdur-Rahim became the coach at USF. He was getting ready for his second season as the Bulls’ head coach at the time of his death, and an exhibition game is set for Oct. 30 against Edward Waters. The season opener against Florida is scheduled for Nov. 4 in Jacksonville.

Amir Abdur-Rahim played college basketball at Garden City CC from 2000-01 before transferring to Southeastern Louisiana from 2001-04. He began his coaching career in 2006 as an assistant at Murray State and landed at the College of Charleston in 2012.

From there, Abdur-Rahim headed to Texas A&M from 2014-18 and Georgia in 2018-19. That’s when he landed the Kennesaw State head coach job..