South Florida men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died suddenly Thursday, the school announced. He was 43.
The Tampa Bay Times’ Joey Knight reported that Abdur-Rahim’s passing was unexpected and as the result of an “aggressive illness.” Abdur-Rahim died due to complications that arose during a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital, according to school officials.
“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” USF athletics director Michael 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 Board of Trustees chairman Will Weatherford described Abdur-Rahim’s death as a “shock to us all.”
“A heartbreaking day today,” Weatherford said via X. “Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim’s passing is a shock to us all. He was an incredible person and friend and I feel blessed to have known him. I will be praying for his family and all those who loved him so much.”
Abdur-Rahim coached the Bulls to a 25-8 record and the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship last season, his first at USF. Prior to that, he spent four seasons at Kennesaw State, leading the Owls to the ASUN Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament in 2023.
An Atlanta native, Abdur-Rahim — whose older brother Shareef was a star at California and an NBA All-Star in 2002 — played basketball at Southeastern Louisiana and was an assistant at Murray State, Charleston, Texas A&M and Georgia before landing his first head-coaching job at Kennesaw State. The Owls went 1-28 in his first season, but improved every year before reaching their first NCAA tournament three years later.
USF is scheduled to play an exhibition game vs. Edward Waters on Wednesday before opening the regular season at Florida on Nov. 4. Abdur-Rahim is survived by his wife, Arianne, and three children.
