South Florida basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim dies at 43

South Florida's Amir Abdur-Rahim, one of college basketball's brightest young coaches, 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 at South Florida Athletics grieve with Coach Abdur-Rahim's loved ones,” 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. athletics team and staff, to ensure they have the resources they need to deal with this tremendous loss.”

Abdur-Rahim led 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. Before Abdur-Rahim took over in 2023, the school had never finished .500 in the AAC and had finished above .500 overall only once since 2012. He was selected as AAC Coach of the Year.

The Bulls 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]'Are you afraid of heights?'” Abdur-Rahim said in his introductory press conference in March 2023. “'Because one day you're going to have to climb that ladder to cut those nets.'”

Abdur-Rahim spent four seasons at Kennesaw State before moving to South Florida, leading the Owls to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023. He was the architect of a dramatic rebuild of the program, going from a win in his first season in charge at 26 in his last campaign. He won the 2023 Hugh Durham Award, given annually to the nation's top mid-major coach, and was named ASUN Coach of the Year.

“There are people who have been here who care about this program. It was a place with no identity, but it was on the verge of being able to do something really special,” Abdur-Rahim told ESPN after Kennesaw State won the Atlantic Sun tournament.

“It's crazy, to be honest with you.”

Abdur-Rahim is the younger brother of former California star and NBA veteran Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who is now president of the NBA G League.

Abdur-Rahim, a longtime assistant coach, spent time on the staffs of Georgia, Texas A&M, Charleston, Georgia Tech and Murray State. While on Tom Crean's staff at Georgia, the Atlanta native helped the Bulldogs sign top-five recruit Anthony Edwards, who went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Before Abdur-Rahim left Georgia for Kennesaw State, he called Edwards to get his blessing.

“Signing a guy like Anthony is a relationship that was four years in the making and developing. There were people around me that I had real relationships with that trusted me and the Georgia coaching staff, who trusted me to be there.” Abdur-Rahim said on the “Coaching Origins” podcast in 2022. “Before I accepted the job, I called a few people, I called Anthony and I just said, 'Hey, I have this opportunity, but if you need me here.' I'll stay. I'm perfectly fine with that.

“I wouldn't have been able to recruit the players that I recruited if it weren't for those, I call them, real relationships. Whether I got the kid or not. That person over there was going to be okay with me no matter what, and I was going to be good with them.”

Abdur-Rahim played for Billy Kennedy, whom he would later coach at Murray State and Texas A&M, for three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana. He was a three-time All-Southland selection and finished in the top 10 in program history in points, three-pointers made and steals.

“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 unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped create unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation”. said USF President Rhea Law. “During 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 university community will live on forever. “

“We are devastated to learn of the tragic passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim,” the American Athletic Conference said in a statement. “In just five years as a head coach, Amir established himself as one of college basketball's best, winning two conference championships and leading both South Florida and Kennesaw State to unprecedented levels of success.

“The most impressive thing is that he won the right way, with class and grace, and was a true leader among his colleagues and student-athletes. He embodied the great mission of education through athletics in every way.”

NCAA Senior Vice President Dan Gavitt called Abdur-Rahim's death “heartbreaking.”

“Amir was such a vibrant and talented coach, and an even better man,” Gavitt said.

Abdur-Rahim is survived by his wife, Arianne, and his three children: daughters Laila and Lana and son Aydin.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.