College Basketball Coach Tragically Dies At 43

University of Southern Florida fans are mourning the untimely death of head basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim who passed away earlier this month at just 43 years old.

ESPN reports the up-and-coming coach, who guided USF to one of its best seasons the prior year, died while undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital, according to a statement from the school. “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.”

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The 2023-2024 season was a high water mark for the men’s Bulls team as they notched 25 wins and clinched their first American Athletic Conference regular-season title. The team also managed to land among the AP’s Top 25 men’s basketball teams for the first time in USF history. Before Abdur-Rahim took over the program, USF’s men’s basketball team was mired in multiple losing seasons, never finishing above .500 except once in the past 12 seasons. He was credited with the quick turnaround and bestowed with AAC Coach of the Year in March.

“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 an unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped generate unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation,” USF president Rhea Law said. “Throughout 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 the university community will live on forever.”

“We are devastated to hear of the tragic passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim,” the American Athletic Conference said in a statement to the outlet. “In only five years as a head coach, Amir established himself as one of the best in college basketball, winning championships in two conferences and taking both South Florida and Kennesaw State to unprecedented levels of success. More impressively, he won the right way, with class and grace, and was a true leader among his colleagues and student-athletes. He embodied the greater mission of education through athletics in every way.”

NCAA senior vice president Dan Gavitt called the league’s loss a “heartbreaking” one. “Amir was such a vibrant and talented coach, and an even better man,” Gavitt said. On X, the NCAA March Madness account sent its condolences to Abdur-Rahim’s loved ones. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues, and the entire USF community,” it wrote in a statement.

Amir Abdur-Rahim has passed away at the age of 43.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues, and the entire USF community. pic.twitter.com/q2mcVCGl4E

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) October 24, 2024

A longtime assistant coach, Abdur-Rahim rose the ranks at Georgia, Texas A&M, Charleston, Georgia Tech and Murray State before moving to South Florida and taking the Bulls to a rare NCAA tournament appearance in 2023. In addition to winning AAC Coach of the Year, he was awarded the Hugh Durham Award in 2023, given to the country’s best mid-major coach.

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

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