TAMPA, Fla. — The American Athletic Conference is honoring the University of South Florida's late basketball coach, Amir Abdul-Rahim. 

Abdul-Rahim is being awarded Honorary Coach of the Year honors.

As part of the award, the AAC will donate $15,000 to Abdul-Rahim’s favorite charity, the Future Foundation.

Abdul-Rahim was 43-years-old when he passed away in October 2024, a huge loss the Bulls’ basketball program that was finding recent success.

USF Athletics Senior Writer Joey Johnston, also the school’s radio broadcast analyst, spent more time with Coach Abdul-Rahim than most, traveling with the team every game.

“It was kind of just a master class in him teaching us all how to be connected and use our talents in the best way, and how to be accountable and responsible,” said Johnston.

Johnston said Abdul-Rahim made it priority to give his players lessons in life, and he says those messages translated to on court play. Johnston mentioned a defining moment for him shortly after Abdul-Rahim became USF Bulls Basketball coach.

It was on a trip out of town for a game.

“As we had a team meal inside the hotel ballroom, he said nobody picks up your plate,” Johnston said. “When you’re done with your food you take your plate. You don’t have anyone serve you, don’t have anybody take your plate.

“So that became a big thing where everybody protects their plate, they didn’t want anybody to take their plate, none of the servers. So he wanted to make sure these kids were humbled, that they knew how to work, they knew how to properly conduct themselves, and that was the start of it.”

Abdul-Rahim’s family will accept the honorary Coach of the Year award on Thursday night during the game against Temple.

Tip-off is at 7 p.m. at Yuengling Center on campus at USF.