Former Kennesaw State men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died on Thursday at the age of 43 in Tampa, Florida while undergoing a medical procedure.
Abdur-Rahim’s death was first reported by Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Abdur-Rahim coached at KSU from 2019 till 2023, notably turning the program around from a 1-28 record in his first season, to an all-time best 26-9 record, its first NCAA Tournament appearance and Atlantic Sun title in the 2022-23 season.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Abdur-Rahim attended Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia where he starred for the school’s basketball program. After spending two seasons at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas, he earned an opportunity to play Division-I college basketball at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Shortly after the conclusion of his playing career, Abdur-Rahim began his coaching career as an assistant at Murray State University where he spent five seasons. After stints as an assistant coach at College of Charleston and Texas A&M University, Abdur-Rahim returned to his home state to coach at the University of Georgia, where he spent a season alongside well-renowned head coach Tom Crean.
In his four seasons at KSU, the Owls program’s record improved every season, climaxing with a victory over the Liberty Flames in the ASUN tournament championship game at a sold-out Kennesaw State Convocation Center.
For his efforts, Abdur-Rahim was honored with the 2022-23 National Association of Basketball Coaches District 3 Coach of the Year award. He holds the record for most Division-I conference victories in KSU men’s basketball history.
Abdur-Rahim’s success landed him the men’s basketball head coaching job at the University of South Florida, where he led the Bulls to their first winning season since 2019 and the 2023-24 American Athletic Conference regular season title.
Abdur-Rahim survived by his three children and wife.
