Famous college basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died on Thursday at the age of 43.
Amir Abdur-Rahim reportedly died at the Tampa-area hospital where he was undergoing a medical procedure. He died due to complications that arose.
It was Amir Abdur-Rahim who took the University of South Florida (USF) men’s team to one of the biggest turnarounds in the country last season. He led the Bulls to a program-record 25 wins.
Moreover, led the team to their first American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
Hitherto to Amir Abdul-Rahim’s arrival in 2023, the school had never finished .500 in the AAC since 2012.
The Bulls were also ranked in the men’s AP Top 25 for the first time in the school’s history. Consequently, Amir Abdur-Rahim was selected as the AAC Coach of the Year.
Speaking about the death of the prestigious sportsman, the USF athletic director Michael Kelly said,
“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” Kelly said.
“He was authentic, driven, and his infectious personality captivated all of Bulls Nation. Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim leaves a lasting impact on our student-athletes, the University, and the community.” Kelly continued.
“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,” he continued.
“It’s nuts, to be honest with you,” he concluded.
The family of Amir Abdur-Rahim are not strangers to Basketball sport. He was the younger brother of former California star and NBA veteran Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Shareef Abdur-Rahim is now the president of the NBA G League.
Before his fame, Abdur-Rahim was the longtime assistant coach at Georgia, Texas A&M, Charleston, Georgia Tech and Murray State.
He was a player himself. He played for Billy Kennedy under at Murray State side. Also, he plied his trade at Texas A&M’s for three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana.
Rhea Law noted in a tribute to their former coach, the president of the University of South Florida (USF), Rhea Law praised him for transforming the school’s basketball team.
“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,” 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.” Rhea Law added.
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Abdur-Rahim leaves behind a wife, Arianne, and three children, daughters Laila and Lana and son Aydin.