The South Florida Bulls are transitioning to a new era for the men’s basketball program, especially after the tragic death of late head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim.
South Florida announced it will begin a national search for their next men’s basketball head coach on Friday, CBS Sports’ insider Jon Rothstein reported.
Abdur-Rahim died at age 43 in October 2024 due to an “undisclosed” and aggressive” illness, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Joey Knight. The 2023-24 season was historic for him and the Bulls, finishing with a 25-8 record and claiming their first-ever American Athletic Conference regular season title. They also appeared in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), indicating the significant progress he made with the program before his death.
What’s next for South Florida after 2024-25 season
After Amir Abdur-Rahim’s tragic death, Ben Fletcher served as South Florida’s interim head coach for the 2024-25 season.
Having went through an overhaul in the offseason with several key players from the 2023-24 squad leaving for other squads, the Bulls did not have the same amount of success this past campaign.
They finished with a 13-19 overall record that includes a 6-12 showing in AAC Play. They lost five straight games to end the season, falling in the second round of the conference tournament to the Wichita State Shockers by a 73-68 score on Thursday.
The Bulls averaged 74.4 points on 44.3% shooting from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc. However, they give up 74.5 points on defense, having a losing margin of 0.1 points per game. Jayden Reid led the team in scoring with 12.7 points and 3.6 assists. Jamille Reynolds came next with 12.5 points and 7.7 rebounds while Kobe Knox provided 10.8 points and 3.1 rebounds.
The South Florida Bulls dealt with a lot of heartbreak and hardships throughout the 2024-25 season following the unfortunate death of Abdur-Rahim. With their season now over, they can hope to move forward to a new era where they can rebuild the success their late coach gave them.
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