South Florida basketball coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, passed away Thursday due to an undisclosed illness, the Tampa Bay Times first reported. He was 43 years old.
Abdur-Rahim began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Murray State in 2006. After being promoted to assistant coach in 2008 and spending the next three seasons with the staff, he moved on to coach stints at the College of Charleston, Texas A&M, and Georgia before becoming the head coach of Kennesaw State in 2019.
After four years with the Owls, Abdur-Rahim was hired by USF in March and led the Bulls to their first AAC regular-season title in his first season at the helm. USF finished with a record of 25-8, losing to VCU in the second round of the NIT to wrap up a tremendous turnaround season. Those 25 wins are the most in a single season in program history.
The season also saw USF awarded its first Top 25 ranking in program history.
Abdur-Rahim was considered to be one of college basketball’s rising stars with a clipboard. He is survived by his wife, Arianne Buchanan, and his three children, Laila, Lana, and Aydin.
South Florida basketball released an official statement on X:
We are heartbroken over the passing of Coach Abdur-Rahim.
A tremendous man & leader with an infectious personality that was a shining light to all he encountered.
Our thoughts & prayers are with his family, friends and everyone that he left a lasting impact on. pic.twitter.com/h353f3FNno
— USF Men’s Basketball (@USFMBB) October 24, 2024
“We are heartbroken over the passing of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” the post reads. “A tremendous man & leader with an infectious personality that was a shining light to all he encountered. Our thoughts & prayers are with his family, friends and everyone that he left a lasting impact on.”
The University of South Florida is yet to release an official statement.