Todd Golden reacts to passing of USF coach Amir Abdur-Rahim
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of South Florida head men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim passed away on Thursday. He was 43 years old.
Abdur-Rahim was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital when he died due to complications from the procedure, the school announced.
Florida faces the Bulls in the season opener on Nov. 4 in Jacksonville. Gators coach Todd Golden reacted the news of Abdur-Rahim’s passing on his radio show.
“It’s awful news,” Golden said. “A little loss for words for everything that his family is going through. He had been dealing with some health things over the last year, but this was unexpected. This was not something that people thought would happen. And every experience that I had with Amir was great.
“Stand up man. He worked at Texas A&M when I was at Auburn, so we got to know each other as young assistants and kind of stayed in touch as we grew through the business. And, like I said, this awful news and I really hope that his family is supported as they get through this.”
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Two years ago, Abdur-Rahim coached against Golden during his inaugural season at Florida when he was the coach at Kennesaw State. The Gators pulled out an 88-78 win over the Owls, who finished 2022-23 with a 26–9 record and a Round of 64 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Abdur-Rahim’s impressive turnaround at Kennesaw State landed him the USF job. In his first year with the Bulls last season, he was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 25-8 record.
“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” said Vice President for Athletics, Michael Kelly. “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.”
“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,” said USF President, Rhea Law. “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.”
