University of South Florida men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who is from Marietta and who previously coached at Kennesaw State, died Thursday at the age of 43 from complications during a medical procedure.
Abdur-Rahim was undergoing the procedure at a Tampa-area hospital when he died because of complications that arose during the procedure, according to USF.
“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” Vice President for Athletics 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 turned around the Kennesaw State program in three years and led the Owls to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. The Owls were eliminated by Xavier 72-67 in a dramatic first-round game at Greensboro Coliseum. Days later, Abdur-Rahim was hired by South Florida. He led the Bulls to their first-ever first regular-season American Athletic Conference championship with a 25-8 record, the most wins in program history, in 2023-24. He was about to enter his second season at USF.
“I share my heartfelt prayers and sympathy to Amir’s wife, Arianne, his two daughters, Laila and Lana, and a son, Aydin,” Kennesaw State athletic director Milton Overton said in a statement. “Amir Abdur-Rahim left a legacy not only at Kennesaw State, but throughout his life. Owl Nation will forever remember how he molded young men into champions on the court and in their lives.”
Abdur-Rahim became emotional after Kennesaw State’s NCAA Tournament loss, a game in which the Owls led by 13 points. He said the tears were joyful. Abdur-Rahim took over the program and went 1-28 in his first season. Four years later, they were a No. 14 seed and took the No. 3 seed to the brink of elimination.
“These are tears of joy because we made a commitment to this university,” Abdur-Rahim said at the time. “We made a commitment to these guys sitting next to me that we were going to show up every day for. When you get to a place like this – these are tears of joy – because it takes a special group of people to commit to something and stay and see that vision through. The beginning was four years ago. You better believe this is our standard. This is our expectation, and we will be back.”
Abdur-Rahim took over Kennesaw State in 2019-20 and finished with the infamous record of 1-28 as the rebuild got underway in earnest. The Owls then went 5-19, 13-18 and then 26-8 and the tournament berth. In the 10 previous seasons as a Division I team, Kennesaw State had a combined record of 84-229.
Abdur-Rahim played at Wheeler High School. He started his collegiate playing career at Garden City Community College. He transferred to Southeastern Louisiana where he went on to become at three-time All Southland Conference selection. He graduated seventh all-time in career points and second all-time in 3-pointers made and steals.
Abdur-Rahim began his coaching career at Murray State in 2006 as a graduate assistant and was promoted to a full-time assistant. In 2011, he went to Georgia Tech as a director of player development for a season. He returned to coaching as an assistant at College of Charleston in 2012. From 2014-18, he served as an assistant coach at Texas A&M. He was an assistant coach at Georgia in 2018.
The following season, he was named head coach at Kennesaw State, replacing Al Skinner on April 18, 2019. He turned the program around. At its height, the Owls were 26-9 in the 2022-23 season, won the ASUN regular season and conference championship and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He was named the ASUN Coach of the Year.
In his one season at USF, Abdur-Rahim led the program to its first-ever Top 25 ranking in men’s basketball, reaching as high as No. 24.
“In a very short time, Coach Abdur-Rahim made an indelible impact on the University of South Florida,” USF President Rhea Law said in a statement. “In his first season as our head coach, he brought an unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped generate unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation.
“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.”
Abdur-Rahim is the brother of former NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who played 13 seasons and is now president of the NBA’s G League. He leaves a wife, two daughters and a son.
