USF men's basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim dies at age 43

University of South Florida head men's basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died Thursday at the age of 43.

USF officials say he was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital when he died due to complications.

While he was with the Bulls for only one season, Abdur-Rahim made an unprecedented impact.

He was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after the team posted a 25-8 record, winning the program's first-ever conference championship and posting the most wins in a season. It was an 11-win improvement from 2022-23 and tied for the seventh-best improvement nationally last season.

The Bulls had a record 15-game win streak, were ranked in the top 25 for the first time during the regular season and set a single-game attendance record of 10,659 for a Feb. 18 win over then No. 24 Florida Atlantic 90-86.

Abdur-Rahim was named a Naismith College Coach of the Year semifinalist days before USF earned a bid to the National Invitational Tournament, the team's first postseason appearance since 2018-19. The Bulls beat the University of Central Florida in the first round before losing to Virginia Commonweath in the second round.

His upbeat personality and one-season turnaround of a long-mediocre program was infectious on campus. This month, USF announced that for the first time lower-level and premium tickets were sold out at the Yuengling Center.

"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,” said USF president Rhea Law.

“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 was hired by USF in March 2023 after four years as head coach of Kennesaw State.

He led a turnaround there, too, taking an Owls team that went 1-28 in his first season of 2019-20 to a 26-9 record and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2022-23.

“Honestly, I learned from my mistakes,” Abdur-Rahim said at the time. “Early on at Kennesaw, I wanted everything right away. And so my patience and how I responded to things wasn’t as good. ... And I believe wholeheartedly, a team is only going to be as good as their coach’s response. And I try to respond the right way.”

In addition to bringing a number of Kennesaw State transfer students with him who ended up making a major difference at USF, Abdur-Rahim brought a new attitude to a long-struggling program.

He handed out ice cream to students at USF's Marshall Student Center, met with them while they lined up outside the Yuengling Center before games, and celebrated with them in the stands afterward.

"I just think our students, I think our staff, and people, they deserve a human being as a head coach," Abdur-Rahim told WUSF in a February profile of the team. "I got a title, I'm a human being, though. I was raised on a certain set of principles and values. And I want to be part of it. I want to be approachable."

At that time, center-forward Corey Walker talked about how much Abdur-Rahim cared about his players.

"It's certain things," Walker said. "He doesn't have give us a speech. He can just walk over to you and say 'I love you.' And that's like that's like a million words."

On Thursday, he posted his thoughts on Instagram.

"Love you coach god gave us 1 year but I will cherish it forever," Walker wrote.

Abdur-Rahim said that player relationships were not just about what's on the court.

"I'm gonna be pushing you in that classroom. I'm gonna be pushing you to get extra work in," he said. "You got a girlfriend? Bring her by the office, I want to meet her. And we're gonna talk about how to be men."

Tributes poured in Thursday night for Abdur-Rahim.

“All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim,” said USF Athletic Director Michael Kelly. “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.”

USF football coach Alex Golesh said, “I am devastated by the sudden passing of my good friend Amir Abdur-Rahim, an outstanding man, husband, father and leader who brought tremendous positive energy to all he encountered.”

NCAA senior vice president Dan Gavitt called Abdur-Rahim's death “heartbreaking,” adding “Amir was such a vibrant and talented coach, and an even better man.”

AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti said Abdur-Rahim “won the right way, with class and grace.”

“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,” Pernetti said.

This season’s USF team was picked third in the AAC preseason poll. It is scheduled to play an exhibition game on Oct. 30 against Edward Waters, then open the season against No. 21-ranked Florida in Jacksonville on Nov. 4.

“It’s just awful news," Florida coach Todd Golden said during a weekly coaches show. “A little lost for words for everything that his family is going through. He had been dealing with some health things over the last year, but this is unexpected. This is not something that people thought would happen.”

Abdur-Rahim, a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, previously served as an assistant coach at Georgia, Texas A&M, Charleston, and Murray State.

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

“This is truly a terrible tragedy,” George Washington coach Chris Caputo posted on social media. “Amir was a good man and an excellent coach. Please pray for him and his family.”

Abdur-Rahim had 12 brothers and sisters; one of his brothers is G League president and former NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.