Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida Men’s Basketball Coach, Dies at 43

He won AAC Coach of the Year last season in his first year with the Bulls, leading them to a program-record for wins and a regular-season championship.

South Florida head men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died Thursday at age 43. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

South Florida head men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim has died following complications that arose during a medical procedure, the school announced Thursday. 

Abdur-Rahim was 43 years old. He is survived by his wife, Arianne Buchanan, and three children, daughters Laila and Lana and son Aydin. 

“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 release. “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.”

We are heartbroken over the passing of Coach Abdur-Rahim.

A tremendous man & leader with an infectious personality that was a shining light to all he encountered.

Our thoughts & prayers are with his family, friends and everyone that he left a lasting impact on. pic.twitter.com/h353f3FNno

— USF Men's Basketball (@USFMBB) October 24, 2024

One of 13 siblings, Abdur-Rahim came from a basketball family. His older brother, Shareef, was an NBA All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks and now is the president of the NBA’s G League. Amir Abdur-Rahim played college basketball for Billy Kennedy at Southeastern Louisiana, then got his coaching start with Kennedy after his former head coach got the head job at Murray State. He also spent time as an assistant at Texas A&M and Georgia before getting his first head coaching job in 2019 at Kennesaw State.

Once given his first head coaching opportunity, Abdur-Rahim quickly established himself as a rising star in the coaching profession. He engineered a remarkable rebuild at Kennesaw State, taking the Owls from one win in his first season to 26 and the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in his fourth season in 2023. 

Following that season, Abdur-Rahim left Kennesaw for the South Florida job and pulled off yet another impressive turnaround. After being picked to finish ninth in the American Athletic Conference, Abdur-Rahim led the Bulls to the conference regular-season championship in his first season and set the program’s single-season record for wins. He even lifted the Bulls to a spot in the Associated Press Top 25, the program’s first-ever national ranking. Abdur-Rahim was unanimously named AAC Coach of the Year, his second straight year earning conference coach of the year honors.

Abdur-Rahim’s sudden passing comes just days before the start of the 2024–25 season. South Florida is set to open its season on Nov. 4 against Florida in Jacksonville.