The college basketball world was rocked by the tragic passing of South Florida coach Amir Abdur-Rahim on Thursday.
Abdur-Rahim was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital when he died from complications, according to a statement from the university.
“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” USF athletic director Michael Kelly said 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.”
There was an immediate outpouring of shock, grief, and remembrance for the 43-year-old, who is survived by his wife and three children.
Abdur-Rahim was the younger brother of former Cal forward and NBA All-Star Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who posted about his brother’s passing on social media Friday morning.
Abdur-Rahim was an assistant coach at Murray State, Georgia Tech, Charleston, Texas A&M and Georgia where he helped recruit superstar Anthony Edwards. He then took over as head coach at Kennesaw State and catapulted the program to new heights, going from 1-28 in the 2019-20 season to 26-9 in 2022-23, making the NCAA Tournament and nearly taking down three seed Xavier.
Abdur-Rahim was then hired on at South Florida and immediately found success, leading the Bulls to a 25-8 record and their first AAC regular season championship. The 25 wins was a school record, and they were ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in school history.
More than that, he was beloved by his players, staff, peers, and fans alike, and his passing leaves a big hole in the college basketball world just days before the 2024-25 season begins.