Tampa Bay Lightning Make Heartfelt Post Following Death Of Legendary Coach

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Daniel Lucente
October 25, 2024 (12:35)

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The Tampa Bay Lightning took to social media to issue a heartfelt message regarding the tragic passing of legendary coach Amir Abdur-Rahim at the young age of 43.

It was announced on Thursday that South Florida head men's basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died from complications related to a medical procedure. Abdur-Rahim was an inspirationally led staple to his team and brought impressive coaching records into the college basketball world. He was 43 years old when he died. The Tampa Bay Lightning, playing in the same state where Abdur-Rahim coached, issued a heartfelt statement on social media X.

Abdur-Rahim is survived by his wife, Arianne Buchanan, and their three kids, daughters Laila and Lana and son Aydin. He came from a big family, one of 13 siblings, and his older brother, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, was a former NBA All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks and is now the president of the NBA's G League. He started at Southeastern Louisiana, where he played for coach Billy Kennedy, who later gave him his first coaching opportunity at Murray State.

From there, a coaching career began to blossom. Abdur-Rahim had assistant stops at Texas A&M and Georgia, learning and honing his style before getting his first head coaching job in 2019 at Kennesaw State. There, he drastically flipped the program from a single win in his first season to 26 wins and the school's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance heading into his fourth season in 2023. That made him a highly regarded name in college basketball with the Owls.

Having experienced all his success at Kennesaw State, Abdur-Rahim accepted the head coaching job at South Florida, where he kept establishing himself in one of the better jobs in America. He took the Bulls to unprecedented heights in just his first year in Tampa, from preseason underdog to American Athletic Conference regular-season champions. His leadership led South Florida to a program record for wins and their first appearance in the Associated Press Top 25, netting him unanimous AAC Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive year.

His sudden death just days before the 2024-25 season leaves an empty space, not just within South Florida but to the entire basketball fraternity. The Bulls were to open their season against Florida in Jacksonville on Nov. 4 in a highly hyped contest that now will carry somber weight. His impact on the players and the fans, and his impact on the university will be remembered for years as his legacy remains with programs he changed and the countless lives he affected.