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By: Abe Rothstein (@RothsteinAbe)
In a tragic announcement with the basketball season on the brink, the University of South Florida announced that Head Coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, 43 years old, had passed away.
This devastating news has shaken up college basketball, with tributes pouring in from all across the basketball community.
“You’ll see some of the things that people have said about him,” said GW Head Coach Chris Caputo. “I think they were all legitimate. They were true. You know, Tom Crean is a good friend of mine. He worked for Coach Crean, and I know he speaks very, very highly of him.”
The name Abdur-Rahim may sound familiar to many, as his brother Shareef Abdur-Rahim played 13 years in the NBA, and currently serves as the President of the NBA G League.
Amir was a three-time All-Southland Conference selection at Southeastern Louisiana, where he had an illustrious career. He would finish in the top seven in all-time career points and top two in 3-pointers and steals.
Abdur-Rahim was an assistant coach for 14 years at five different stops before getting the head coaching job at Kennesaw State.
Upon his arrival at Kennesaw State, the program was among the bottom of the barrel in all of college basketball, finishing 1-28 in his first year. Over the next three years, there was a drastic improvement, with the team winning five, 13, and then 26 games, which won the Atlantic Sun Conference and led the Owls to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Abdur-Rahim was hired by the University of South Florida before the 2023-2024 season, and the Bulls had a tremendous season, finishing at 25-8 while making the second round of the NIT Tournament. Heading into this season, the team once again had high hopes.
“Obviously, a guy my age in the profession, his star was sort of rising in terms of success he was able to have in South Florida last year,” said Caputo.
While Caputo was not extremely close with Abdur-Rahim, they knew each other from coaching circles and would connect with each other.
Amir Arrington, who is entering his second season at GW as a walk-on, was actually recommended to Caputo by Abdur-Rahim, who knew Arrington’s high school coach in Florida.
“Just a terrible tragedy, and a guy who I think would have had a great effect on a lot more people in his life, only 43 years old,” Caputo said. “Just tragic.”
Abdur-Rahim, one of 13 siblings, is survived by his wife and their three children.
WRGW Sports mourns the tragic loss.
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