Florida
Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida Basketball Coach, Dies at 43
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(978x390:980x392)/Amir-Abdur-Rahim-tout-102424-afbec3c4dd1d4478b88dad4f71e38753.jpg?ssl=1 "Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida Basketball Coach, Dies at 43")
The University of South Florida’s head men’s basketball coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, is dead. He was 43.
According to an announcement posted on the school’s athletics website, Abdur-Rahim was undergoing a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital “when he passed away due to complications that arose during the procedure.”
Abdur-Rahim was named the basketball team’s head coach in March 2023. Last winter, during his first season with the USF Bulls, he led the team to their first-ever championship in the regular season and was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. It was also the first time they ranked in the top 25 during the regular season.
The team ended the season with a 25-8 record after four consecutive losing seasons.
“Amir was only in our conference for one year, but he made such a profound impact on so many people, both on the court and in the community, simply by treating everyone with kindness, dignity and respect,” said the American Athletic Conference in a statement after his death.
USF President Rhea Law shared similar sentiments, expressing in a statement that Abdur-Rahim “made an indelible impact” on the university “in a very short time.”
Jacob Kupferman/Getty
“He brought an unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped generate unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation. Throughout my time working with Coach Abdur-Rahim, I was continually inspired by his leadership, and truly admired his sincere approach to connecting with our entire student body,” said Law.
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Vice President for Athletics, Michael Kelly, said Abdur-Rahim had an “authentic,” “driven,” and “infectious personality” that captivated the university and left a “lasting impact.”
Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Before arriving at the USF, Abdur-Rahim was the head coach at Kennesaw State University in Georgia for four seasons. There, he helped lead the team to its first appearance in March Madness after winning the 2023 Atlantic Sun regular season and tournament titles, according to a press release from KSU.
He is remembered for “doubling the program’s win total every season,” culminating in a postseason run “that captured the hearts of Owl Nation.”
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Abdur-Rahim is survived by his wife, Arianne, and three children.
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Florida on Tuesday announced a criminal probe into whether artificial intelligence played a role in a deadly mass shooting at a university in the US state.
“If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,” Uthmeier said.
Florida law allows anyone who assists or counsels someone in the commission of a crime to be treated as an “aider and abettor” bearing the same responsibility as the perpetrator, according to Uthmeier.
In exchanges with ChatGPT, the accused shooter sought advice on what type of gun and ammunition to use, as well as where and when on campus a lot of people would likely be found, the state attorney general said during a press briefing.
“Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.
A massive wildfire in Putnam County in northern Florida left Amtrak passengers stranded on a train for more than 24 hours.
One train heading to New York City was forced to turn around, arriving back in Miami Monday night, including one passenger who said he had been on that train for about 38 hours.
He says he and other passengers were left uncertain about what was going on.
“Angry, confused, uncertain, in the dark,” said John Reardon.
Reardon, who lives in New York City, says he boarded the train around 7 a.m. Sunday to go back home. He said around 3 p.m. Sunday, the train stopped near Jacksonville.
“Finally, after about 5 hours, they said we’re not going to New York, we’re going back to Miami,” Reardon said. “One stop at a time.”
Amtrak said for the safety of its passengers, the train couldn’t continue going north because of the fire.
“Amtrak sends a notification to the phone saying, ‘Hey, there’s an issue with the wildfire, it’s too close to the railway,’” said passenger Katrinia Wheeler.
Multiple crews are battling multiple fires in two Florida counties, leaving at least 3,000 acres burned.
“I saw that there was a lot of smoke coming from the woods, and then I saw the fire trucks and emergency services,” Wheeler said.
The train that left Miami at 7 a.m. on Sunday returned around 9 p.m. on Monday, leaving passengers frustrated.
Amtrak corporate says they made the decision out of safety for their customers and said customers would receive full refunds and vouchers.
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