TAMPA, Fla. (March 18, 2024) –
Amir Abdur-Rahim, the USF men's basketball coach, collects quotes. For two decades, after coming across something particularly inspiring or useful, he meticulously writes it by hand in his journal.
Whether it's the words of an ancient Renaissance man (Michelangelo) or a modern street poet (Nipsey Hussle), he can reference a wonderfully diverse collection of thought-provoking ideas.
One of his favorites comes from author Maya Angelou:
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.''
And that is the essence of Abdur-Rahim's first season with the Bulls.
USF men's basketball feels relevant again. His players feel passionate and driven. The entire USF athletic department feels motivated and energetic, even beyond basketball. He has helped to rejuvenate a long-dormant fan base and student section. Visitors to the Yuengling Center immediately notice the difference. The place feels alive.
"My top goal all along was being the most connected team in the country,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "The results take care of themselves if you're playing and fighting for one another every night. It's more powerful than confidence and momentum. Connection, man. That's what we want. That's who we are.''
The results?
The Bulls (24-7) will return to the postseason Tuesday night with a first-round National Invitation Tournament game in Orlando against the UCF Knights (17-15). USF won the American Athletic Conference's regular-season championship on the strength of a program-record 15-game winning streak, while earning the AAC Tournament's No. 1 seed.
Meanwhile, Abdur-Rahim, hired last spring after taking Kennesaw State University from one victory to an NCAA Tournament bid in a four-season span, was a unanimous selection for AAC Coach of the Year. He has also been named as one of the 10 semifinalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year.
Not surprisingly, Abdur-Rahim said any coaching award should be called "Staff of the Year.'' If he receives a trophy or plaque, he said he will strip away the label and replace it with a "Staff of the Year'' designation.
"USF's progress has been spectacular,'' said Sports Illustrated columnist Pat Forde, one of the nation's most respected college sports journalists. "
Amir Abdur-Rahim should be on every National Coach of the Year list. What he did at Kennesaw State was amazing, but this is every bit as impressive.''
Abdur-Rahim quickly deflects the praise, instead pumping up the work of his players and coaching staff. As for himself, he simply says, "Don't congratulate me for doing what I was hired to do. Sometimes, success brings complacency. And complacency can bring comfort. We are concentrating on growth and humility. We are NOT going to have a program of entitlement.''
On road trips, USF players are required to transfer all the bags from their charter planes to the bus and hotel, instead of relying on the customary hustle of team managers. After completing team meals inside the hotel meeting rooms, players have learned to clear their own plates and utensils off the table instead of contentedly allowing the hotel staff to wait on them.
With Abdur-Rahim, lower-rung workers are treated with respect. He credits the influence of William Abdur-Rahim, his Muslim father, and Deborah Hester, his Christian mother. The father was an imam, a prayer leader at a mosque, and he usually had his children working Thanksgiving mornings at Atlanta food banks or homeless shelters. Abdur-Rahim regularly visited the classroom of his mother, a high-school teacher, to interact with her special-needs students.
Abdur-Rahim, 43, is the fourth oldest of 13 siblings (11 have earned college degrees, one is in college and the other is in high school). His older brother, Shareef, was a third overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and played 13 seasons in the league while earning an Olympic gold medal. Abdur-Rahim remembers the examples of hard work by joining Shareef in running conditioning gassers in 95-degree heat (immediately after signing a six-year, $71-million contract extension) and watching him prepare for post-basketball life by taking an unpaid internship (he's now president of the NBA's G-League).
Wonder no more where Abdur-Rahim learned about competitiveness and work ethic.
"From the very first time we spoke with him in the interview process to right now, Amir has been the same authentic, genuine person,'' said USF senior associate athletic director
Lee Butler, who worked with vice president of athletics Michael Kelly to hire Abdur-Rahim. "He's a really good basketball coach. But he is an elite leader. And he is an elite developer of men.
"He understands you don't have to be the most talented team, the biggest team or the best-shooting team. But you better be the most connected team if you're going to achieve at a high level through adversity and challenging times. He relates to his players. And I think his ability to bring people together — whether it's students, program supporters, faculty, staff and the local community — is absolutely elite.''
His wife, Ari, knows that well.
"When we met, the first thing I noticed was Amir's heart,'' she said. "Just a great, kind heart. Talking to him was effortless. It was so refreshing. We did not run out of things to talk about and we were both grounded in faith. I felt an instant connection.''
It's a word to remember — connection.
Man Of The People
You'd expect Abdur-Rahim's wife and their three small children — Laila, Lana and Aydin — to feel a strong connection.
But complete strangers?
The past three USF home games, all sellouts, have felt like a love-in between Abdur-Rahim, his players, and 10,000-plus of their closest friends.
When hundreds of students lined up to enter the Feb. 18 game against Florida Atlantic, hours before the doors opened, Abdur-Rahim emerged outside (in a steady rain) to slap high-fives with everyone. He has appeared randomly around campus to pay for everyone's coffee. Sometimes, he distributes doughnuts or pizza.
After USF victories, once the Alma Mater is complete, he conducts the Herd of Thunder pep band and steps into the middle of the SoFlo Rodeo student section to celebrate and dance.
"It's so much fun,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "I think it's a good thing for the students to have a head basketball coach who is a human being. I don't want our program to be separated from campus. We are a part of campus. We want to be visible because there's nothing better than interacting with the students.
"I tell our players to take off their headphones when they're walking around campus. Hold the door for somebody. Introduce yourself. Invite them to a game. Obviously, our guys are doing something right because our students have really gotten behind them and are supporting them.''
Abdur-Rahim has that rare ability to remain grounded in the moment, even when chaos is crashing all around. He looks you in the eye and makes you feel heard, whether you are USF president Rhea Law, Muma Center custodian Walter Newson or someone who's new on campus.
"He understands that the fans want to love him … and he sincerely loves the fans,'' said Tampa-based musician Johnny G Lyon, a USF basketball fan for three decades, whose band has opened concerts for James Brown and B.B. King. "The way he relates to the students isn't for show. It's real.''
Across the Yuengling Center concourse, a banner has been draped:
SoFlo Rodeo LOVES Coach Amir.
That's real, too.
"We feel connected to this team,'' said freshman Ari Thibeault, who's majoring in exercise science. "We feel like Coach Amir is one of us.''
"He has brought out the energy that we've needed around here for a very long time,'' said Vladomir Jungkman, a graduate student in business analytics.
"He gives our program a classy image because he's wearing a suit and tie to the games, but after we win, he's up here to show his appreciation,'' said senior Jed Castricone, who's majoring in finance. "I'd run through a wall for Coach Amir.''
And if the students feel that way, what must the players think?
Players Feel The Connection
When Abdur-Rahim got the initial call about his interest in USF, he knew it was for him. "I saw it in his eyes,'' his wife said. But leaving Kennesaw State wasn't easy, especially after transforming that program.
Before taking the USF job, he gathered three key players —
Chris Youngblood,
Brandon Stroud, and
Kasen Jennings. He asked: What about me potentially leaving? They thought it was a great opportunity. But this addendum was quickly added:
We're coming with you.
"We couldn't imagine playing for anyone else,'' said Jennings, who has missed the entire USF season with injury. "Of course, we were coming to USF. No question.
"He's more than a coach. He's making us better people. I feel that's very unusual. He makes sure we're living right.''
When Kennesaw State went from one victory to just five, Jennings said Abdur-Rahim stuck by his recruits.
"We started really getting it in the third year (as Kennesaw advanced to 13 wins, then 26 and an NCAA bid) and he was patient,'' Jennings said. "Some coaches might have looked to trade us in and get that new car because the wins and losses dictate everything with some coaches. But we were his guys.
"That's bigger than the basketball part. He's like a coach. He's like a father figure. He's like a big brother. He's all of that for us. There's nobody like him.''
Jennings said Abdur-Rahim has incredible instincts and intuition.
"He always knows when something's up,'' Jennings said. "He reads your body language very well. If I just broke up with my girlfriend or I just lost my dog or if I was having my best day ever, he would know all of that without me saying a word. It's crazy. It's just how he's wired.''
The Kennesaw State trio has been vital in implementing Abdur-Rahim's plan and expressing it to other players, whether they were holdovers or newcomers.
Jose Placer played for North Florida, one of Kennesaw State's top rivals in the Atlantic Sun Conference. But when Placer entered the transfer portal, he saw only one destination.
"I wanted to be part of the connection that Coach Amir's teams always had,'' Placer said. "And now that I'm actually here, it's so true. He's just a great dude. Honest, open and he really cares about us. There's a real relationship there. It's not just X's and O's.''
Freshman point guard
Jayden Reid has learned that first-hand. Reid said he has "a love-hate relationship'' with Abdur-Rahim, who leans on him hard at times, always with the greater good in mind.
"He pushes you to the max,'' Reid said. "He's not going to let you give anything other than your best. And when you bring your best, he wants more. You're always going to frustrated — and I have been very frustrated. But you know what? It all pays off as you can see with me and everybody on this team.''
Kasean Pryor, with a personality that matches his emotional and electric game, said he has been coached harder than at any other time in his life. At varying points this season, he has been the star, he has been benched and his role has been limited. But he has also responded positively to the lessons — including some he continues to learn.
"When I came here, Coach told me there would be days I'd leave the gym saying, 'Man, I hate that guy' — and I can say for sure that he was right,'' Pryor said with a smile. "At the end of the day, it's all love. He tells you the truth. He doesn't sugarcoat anything. And there are days when you don't want that. You want the easy way out. He won't let you go there.
"He sees my potential. I might disagree with him at times, but I place my trust in him. There are ups and downs, like any relationship. After a bad day, I bounce back the next day and come here, looking to be the best I can be. I think it's a lot like real life.''
Real life.
That's what Abdur-Rahim was thinking about on March 2, when USF beat Tulane when the nets were cut down to celebrate the AAC regular-season title when confetti flew all around.
At the postgame news conference,
Selton Miguel, a holdover from last season's team, was asked about his progress. Abdur-Rahim had been warned Miguel might be a difficult personality. The coach filed it away and built his own relationship with the player. They have thrived together.
"He has been my mentor, not just my coach,'' Miguel said. "Since he got here, he has been there for me.''
Abdur-Rahim, seated next to the player, got emotional.
"I'm sorry, man, but I can't help it,'' the coach said, fighting back tears. "It's just great to see growth in young people. When they start to see themselves as more than just basketball players, when they start to see themselves as men … honestly, that's what it's all about.
"Selton trusted me when he really didn't have to. He could've made it about himself. But all season, he did what I asked him to do. … I don't need a piece of net or a ring to tell me I'm a good coach. Not when these guys respond like that. It tells me all I need right there.''
Drawing Up The Plays
From a technical standpoint, when it comes to winning games at crunch time, Abdur-Rahim has proven to be an excellent coach.
At No. 10-ranked Memphis, after the Bulls had battled from a 20-point second-half deficit, USF had an out-of-bounds play by its bench with 6.3 seconds remaining. Abdur-Rahim devised a look that had two Memphis defenders following Miguel, leaving Pryor wide open.
"Brandon (Stroud, the inbound passer) made eye contact with me and I kind of froze for a second because I couldn't believe I was that open … but Coach thought that could happen,'' said Pryor, who drove to the basket and was fouled hard before hitting the free throw that secured a 74-73 victory, USF's first win against a ranked opponent in 12 seasons.
At UTSA, the Bulls played poorly and were in danger of a bad defeat. But USF rallied furiously and cut it to one with 1:39 remaining. Abdur-Rahim called time out and switched defenses to a 1-3-1 trap with the long-armed Stroud at the top. UTSA was confused. Its pass was deflected by Stroud and stolen by Reid, who soared in for the go-ahead layup.
Meanwhile, USF has become incredibly stingy on out-of-bounds plays while defending their basket. Those specialty plays translate directly to coaching.
"I knew Amir was good, but I did not realize he was this good,'' said USF assistant coach
Desmond Oliver, who has opposed Abdur-Rahim in the past but joined his staff this season.
Abdur-Rahim prides himself on building close relationships with each player. When there's a timeout, he will sometimes let his assistants run the huddle, so he can pull aside a player for a pointed one-on-one conversation.
"That's not typical of head coaches,'' USF assistant coach
Ben Fletcher said. "He trusts his staff. He doesn't crave the credit. He will protect the culture at all costs. Culture wins. You win with people.
"And it doesn't matter if it's the best player or a walk-on if somebody isn't doing the right thing on or off the court, we're going to address it immediately. He'll rock the boat in a heartbeat.''
During that initial one-victory season at Kennesaw State, the lone win was against Gardner-Webb. Abdur-Rahim's team won with seven players. He had suspended five others — four for being late to study hall, one for being late to shoot-around.
Abdur-Rahim is demanding and unyielding in practice. Some players might even say unfair. During scrimmages, the coach will deduct points from a team if he detects poor body language or a lack of hustle. On the sideline during games, he is generally placid with arms folded, which is dramatically different than the hot-headed style of the first few Kennesaw years.
He once sought out Dayton coach Anthony Grant, who he described as a "sideline Buddha'' and asked some advice about coaching temperament. Grant admitted he was emotional and loud during practices.
"But Coach Grant told me, 'My No. 1 job during games is giving confidence to my players,' '' Abdur-Rahim said. "That hit me like a Mike Tyson uppercut. I've never forgotten that.''
"Coach gives us the tools, then he lets us do the work,'' Youngblood said. "He always has our back. He prepares us for success.''
"I love how cool, calm, and collected he is during games,'' Bulls forward
Kobe Knox said. "We're never worried or flustered. We're ready for the big moments. We're pulling in the same direction. We're a basketball team, but we're also a family.''
All In The Family
Coach. Mentor. Spokesman. Recruiter. Strategist.
It's a lot to juggle. But there are two roles that Abdur-Rahim will always catch safely, protecting them with his life.
Husband. Father.
"To God be the glory,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "I am one lucky man.''
Abdur-Rahim met his future wife, an attorney, at a Fourth of July party in 2011. It was not a matchmaking set-up. They both had friends there and met by chance.
They clicked instantly. They talked easily for hours, winding up at a Waffle House in the wee hours.
Thirteen years later, the conversation is still going strong.
She didn't know anything about being a coach's wife. She was risk-averse, conservative, solid, lost in her law books, working her career.
Four months after they met, before Abdur-Rahim's entire family at Thanksgiving dinner, he blessed the food, then dropped to one knee and said:
"I'd be very thankful, Ari, if you'd give me your hand in marriage.''
She said yes.
"Four months is quick, but we met each other at the right time and we both had been praying about this relationship,'' she said. "So it was perfect and very, very right. There was absolutely no hesitation.''
They have moved four times — from Georgia to South Carolina to Texas, back to Georgia, and now to Tampa. Three kids later, her legal career is on hold, but this season's success and their growing family provides all the joy she could ever imagine.
"Ari is the MVP,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "She allows me to do this every day with a clear head and a clear heart, so I can give everything I've got to the guys.
"Humbly speaking, when you have a wife like that, when you have God behind you, when you are steadfast in prayer, when you try to treat people the right way, when you have an awesome support system at USF with people like Michael Kelly,
Lee Butler and Jacqui Grant … it's just like Kevin Garnett said after the NBA Finals. Anything is possible.''
When presented with the USF opportunity, Abdur-Rahim remembered the words of his parents:
"Don't chase money. Chase good people. If the money is good, but the people aren't, don't do it.''
He loved the USF people.
"We're going to do great things here,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "We're going to win basketball games, but more importantly, we're going to build a lot of great young men.''
He still feels like the first-year assistant coach at Murray State, the guy with a $38,000 salary working for his college coach, Billy Kennedy, and doing a bit of everything. That included the year-end banquet, where he managed all the details — tablecloths, centerpieces, the menu and the highlight tape. Every little thing mattered.
"I wanted that banquet to be perfect,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "My father said if something is worth doing, it's worth doing well. I hear the words of my father every day. He said, 'The best getters are always the best givers.' And he always said, 'You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.' Sometimes, you've got to get over yourself. You've got to listen. Not just listen, but hear what people are saying.''
Abdur-Rahim remembers Kennedy's example. Work hard, yes, but always put your family first. Allow the kids to know their dad. Kennedy made sure to play basketball with his son and let his daughters paint his fingernails for overnight, then clean them in the morning.
With a grateful, selfless heart, Abdur-Rahim has that innate motivation and purpose to give back and make someone's day. The other morning, as his kids woke up, he whistled the tune of Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy.'' It made them smile and laugh.
"Amir is that person,'' Abdur-Rahim's wife said. "He still enjoys the beauty of every single moment.''
When he hears something profound, Abdur-Rahim writes it down. His wife marvels at his ability to quote from movies or television shows, from music, from books he has read, from something she once said off-the-cuff, while turning it into a relevant message. He can summon the right words on command.
"I think about the quote from J. Prince, the successful CEO of Rap-A-Lot records,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "He said, 'Every day you wake up, you get two things — a chance and a choice.'
"So, man, we've got a chance. We've got to make the right choices and that will ultimately lead to our destination.''
Lately, Abdur-Rahim has reflected on the words of late actor Chadwick Boseman, who delivered a stirring commencement address in 2018 at Howard University, his alma mater. He urged students to find a purpose instead of just a job or a career because purpose, he said, always crosses disciplines.
"Purpose is an essential element of you,'' Boseman said that day. "It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfill. Whatever you choose for a career path, remember, the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.''
USF has been shaped by its struggles this season. At 2-4, the Bulls could have splintered. They did not. Faced with the tantalizing possibility of winning the AAC Tournament for an automatic NCAA bid, the Bulls fell short. Now they're in the NIT, bypassed for a home game, forced to travel to the arena of their longtime "War On I-4'' rival.
Maybe the season's ultimate purpose has yet to be discovered. Rallying behind a coach who has changed the program's trajectory, the USF Bulls are aiming to make even more history.
Can you feel it?
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About USF Men's Basketball
The South Florida men's basketball team is led by Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was named the 11th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023. Abdur-Rahim was named the 2023 Mid-Major Coach of the Year (Hugh Durham Award) after leading Kennesaw State to its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2022-23. Abdur-Rahim's Kennesaw State team set an NCAA record as the fastest team to ever reach the NCAA Tournament after a one-win campaign, accomplishing the feat in a span of just three seasons. He was also named the 2022-23 NABC District 3 and ASUN Coach of the Year after leading Kennesaw State to both the regular season and tournament titles, and a school-record 26 wins.
USF has retired three numbers in its history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30), and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com. Season tickets for the 2023-24 USF men's basketball slate are on sale now. To purchase season tickets, click here.
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