"I'm saddened": Mark Pope shares condolences on the death of Amir Abdur-Rahim

Kentucky Wildcats coach Mark Pope posted a heartfelt post following the death of Amir Abdur-Rahim at 43 on Thursday. Due to complications during a surgical procedure, he died.

"I’m saddened to hear of the passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim," Pope wrote. "He was a championship-winning coach who was an exceptional leader of young men. More importantly, he was also a father, husband, brother and son. This is a devastating loss. I will be praying for the Abdur-Rahim family and the USF community."

Amir took over as head coach of South Florida in 2023 and finished the season with a 25-8 record. The team won the AAC regular-season championship. He died 10 days before the USF was supposed to play against Florida on November 4.

"All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim," USF's athletic director Michael Kelly said. "He was authentic, driven, and his infectious personality captivated all of Bulls Nation.”

He was the younger brother of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who played for 13 years in the NBA and is now the NBA G League president. Shareef attended Cal and was named the Pac-10 player of the year as a freshman in 1995-96.

Abdur-Rahim was said to be a rising star coach this season, but his death came as a shock to the entire college fraternity.

Brother of Amir Abdur-Rahim responded to his unexpected death

After the unexpected death of his younger brother, Shareef Abdur-Rahim sent a statement on the internet by writing a tweet. He dedicated a heartwarming message to the supporters in this difficult time.

Shareef wrote:

"From God, we come, and to God, we must all return. On behalf of my family, I want to express our gratitude to all who have reached out regarding Amir's passing. Please remember our family in your prayers. As would say, to God be the Glory."

After leading Kennesaw State to a winning season with a record of 26-9 and a NCAA tournament championship berth in 2023, Amir Abdur-Rahim was then interviewed for the position for the Golden Bears' coaching job after the firing of Mark Fox. Despite the popularity that the Cal job interview brought, Amir decided to take the head coaching job at South Florida.