South Florida basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim dies at age 43
South Florida's Amir Abdur-Rahim, one of the brightest young coaches in college basketball, died Thursday at age 43, the school announced.
Abdur-Rahim was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital when he died due to complications that arose, the school said.
"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."
Abdur-Rahim guided the South Florida men's team to one of the biggest turnarounds in the country last season, leading the Bulls to a program-record 25 wins and their first American Athletic Conference regular-season title. Prior to Abdur-Rahim taking over in 2023, the school had never finished .500 in the AAC and had ended above .500 overall just once since 2012. He was selected as the AAC Coach of the Year.
The Bulls were also ranked in the men's AP Top 25 for the first time in school history, earning a spot for two weeks in late February and early March.
"I asked [Kelly], 'You afraid of heights?'" Abdur-Rahim said at his introductory news conference in March 2023. "'Because you're going to have to get up on that ladder one day to cut down those nets.'"
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