Amir Abdur-Rahim leaves Kennesaw State for South Florida

Mar. 29—Amir Abdur-Rahim improved Kennesaw State's men's basketball team from the depths of a losing program into the ASUN Conference champion and a respected program around the nation.

Now, he will attempt to do the same thing at South Florida.

Abdur-Rahim will take over the Bulls' program, which went 14-18 overall and 7-11 in the American Athletic Conference this season. He will replace Brian Gregory, who was let go earlier this month after compiling a 79-106 record in six seasons at the Tampa, Florida, university.

Abdur-Rahim, who served as Gregory's director of player development at Georgia Tech during the 2011-12 season, was set to be introduced Thursday afternoon at South Florida.

"I want to thank our student-athletes, coaches, staff, Owl Nation and the Kennesaw community for a historic four years at Kennesaw State," Abdur-Rahim said in a release from Kennesaw State. "These decisions are never easy nor made without a ton of thought and prayer. My family and I are so appreciative of all the friends we have made here in Kennesaw and we are excited to meet the great people that make USF and the Tampa community so special."

South Florida athletic director Michael Kelly said in a release, "Everything that we were looking for in a leader for our men's basketball program, we found in Amir. He is a man of high character who is a proven recruiter, program-builder and winner that creates unparalleled student-athlete experiences."

Kennesaw State athletic director Milton Overton said the day was bittersweet.

"I'm so proud of Amir and what he was able to do here," Overton told the Marietta Daily Journal, "but this is what happens in athletics if you are successful."

The 42-year-old Abdur-Rahim, a Cobb County native and Wheeler High School graduate, took over at Kennesaw State before the 2019-20 season and went 1-28 that first season. While the wins were not there, the culture began to change.

The talent influx was noticeable the next year, and while the Owls went 5-19, it was done with mainly freshmen and sophomores. The growth then continued last year in a 13-18 record that included an ASUN tournament win.

Those previous three seasons laid the foundation for this season.

After going 8-5 in nonconference play, Kennesaw State broke out in conference play, going 15-3 to win the regular-season title. Playing every game on its home floor, the Owls found ways to win close games in the ASUN tournament, culminating with a 67-66 victory over Liberty in the title game.

The victory earned Kennesaw State its first berth in the NCAA Tournament. As a No. 14 seed, the Owls went toe-to-toe with third-seeded Xavier before in the first round falling 72-67 in Greensboro, North Carolina to finish the season at 26-9, the most wins in the team's Division I era by 12.

Because of the success, Overton said he believes the program is in a good place to continue its upward trajectory.

"We're going to be OK," he said. "(Abdur-Rahim) proved it's a good job, that you can win here and you can do so with local talent. It has become a very attractive job."

Overton added that there have already been numerous inquiries from potential candidates. He said the university is working with Parker Executive Search Firm to help him find the right candidate.

Following the ASUN championship game, Overton said he would do everything possible to try to keep Abdur-Rahim in Kennesaw, adding that the university was working on a contract extension. Overton declined to offer specific numbers, but it is unlikely the university was able to get close to what South Florida likely offered.

Abdur-Rahim was made a base salary of $230,000 in 2022, while Gregory had signed a six-year contract worth about $1.1 million annually when he was hired at South Florida in 2017.

"We did everything we could to let him know he was appreciated," Overton said.

Associate head coach Ben Fletcher will serve as Kennesaw State's interim coach while the search is ongoing.

As the university looks for a new coach, Overton said the attention now turns to the players. He is hopeful there will not be an exit from such key players as Chris Youngblood, Brandon Stroud and others who have multiple years of eligibility remaining.

"Our players really enjoy playing at Kennesaw State," Overton said. "I believe we will keep the program heading in the right direction."

Overton added there is going to be a significant investment made in the basketball program as it continues to prepare for its move to Conference USA ahead of the 2024-25 season.

"I don't want people to lose sight of what we have accomplished this year," Overton said. "Our goal is to make sure the winning continues."

Abdur-Rahim had a 45-74 record in his four seasons at Kennesaw State, his first experience as a head coach. Before that, he served as an assistant at Murray State, the College of Charleston, Texas A&M and Georgia.

The brother of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the former NBA star and current NBA G League president, Amir Abdur-Rahim played collegiately at Southeastern Louisiana.