2023-24 SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
After Thursday’s thunderous introduction — full with green-and-gold balloons, cheerleaders, up-tempo music, dazzling spotlight movies and a full dais of high-level audio system who celebrated the brand new period in USF males’s basketball, then joined everybody for the compulsory picture alternative — Bulls coach Amir Abdur-Rahim strolled with vitality and goal into the movie room on the Pam and Les Muma Basketball Heart.
His first staff assembly.
The actual stuff.
“First off, I am right here to serve you guys,” mentioned Abdur-Rahim, 42. “I have been in these conferences earlier than. The coach is available in, does the discuss for 45 minutes and no one hears something, proper? I believe the most effective lecturers are the most effective listeners.”
9 holdover gamers, already locked in, sat up somewhat straighter of their seats.
“I am a man who’s snug being uncomfortable,” Abdur-Rahim mentioned. “As a result of I do know the place it is uncomfortable, there’s development. Particular issues can come out of that. Take into consideration essentially the most lovely issues on this planet. Pearls. diamonds, gold … the place you discover that? They’re buried. You gotta dig them up.
“Guys, lots of people do not wish to get into that dust, man. They do not wish to get that on their fingers. Are you keen to get your fingers soiled? I ought to say, are you keen to do the work? Belief me, man, particular issues can occur.”
And this.
“I really like the switch portal for gamers. As a result of I believe for those who guys are in a spot the place you are not appreciated, not cherished and never being developed, you need to have the ability to have choices. The half I do not like about it, although, is it offers you guys an excuse when issues get laborious. It offers you an out.
“Guys, one factor I discovered over 42 years of rising, teaching and taking part in is you have received to have the ability to stick issues out. You have to have character by way of adversity. As a result of once you develop into profitable, that is an much more vital method to get that character, much more vital than (getting it by way of) prosperity.”
And this.
“I am telling you, man, this recreation is instructing you extra than simply being a basketball participant. That ball is a device. The ball can take you around the globe. It may take you in all places. I am a child from East Level, Georgia. I imply, the locations I have been due to that ball. I’ve received a masters diploma in organizational communication. Too many guys use that ball because the be-all, end-all. I am telling you, it would not simply educate you about basketball. It teaches you about life.”
It was the actual stuff — tone-setting life classes, expectations, challenges, desires and objectives.
All in 5 minutes.
Not a foul first impression.
“I do not similar to Amir, I really like him,” mentioned former USF standout Chucky Atkins, an 11-season NBA veteran, whose Orlando highschool and AAU staff gamers had been recruited by Abdur-Rahim on the coach’s earlier stops. “It is a man who can bridge that hole. He is gonna recruit gamers from the state. He is gonna lead the USF Bulls. Gamers are gonna gravitate to him. I believe he is who this program wants.”
Actually Real, Actually Honest
We like to explain star gamers because the “actual deal.”
Amir Abdur-Rahim is simply actual — interval — actually real, actually honest and actually, actually passionate.
He appeared on the nationwide radar a number of weeks again, after his Cinderella Kennesaw State College Owls fell simply wanting an NCAA Match upset in opposition to Xavier. Afterward, Abdur-Rahim unabashedly wept, describing his feelings as “tears of pleasure” as a result of he was overwhelmed by his staff’s unlikely journey, which started with a one-win season three years earlier. Basketball insiders may keep in mind Abdur-Rahim because the Georgia assistant who recruited big-time prospect Anthony Edwards, the eventual NBA No. 1 general draft choose. Abdur-Rahim is identical man who waxed romantically about his time on the Texas A&M workers and a participant named Alex Caruso.
“You by no means needed to coach his perspective, you by no means needed to coach his vitality and also you by no means needed to coach his effort,” mentioned Abdur-Rahim, beaming like a proud father. “When you do not have to educate these issues, you may get higher. You may develop.”
When Abdur-Rahim was launched Thursday to a standing ovation, he joked, “I have never been this nervous since I met my spouse.”
Abdur-Rahim met Arianne Buchanan by way of mutual associates at a Fourth of July celebration in Atlanta. She did not present up till midnight, however they nonetheless talked for about three hours. The following evening, they frolicked once more for what Abdur-Rahim known as an “unofficial” first date — at a Waffle Home.
“That is once I knew I had lady,” he mentioned.
4 months into the connection, he started purchasing for an engagement ring. In August, the couple will have fun their eleventh anniversary. Their union has produced a son (Ayden) and two daughters (Laila and Lana).
“Generally, you simply know,” Abdur-Rahim mentioned.
When USF officers went on the lookout for a brand new males’s basketball coach, they only knew about Abdur-Rahim.
“It is no secret,” USF board of trustees chair Will Weatherford mentioned. “It is not the most effective gamers who win. It is the most effective groups — and (gamers on) the most effective groups love one another. They care about one another. They’re keen to place within the work for one another. That is what he believes. That is who he’s.”
“I spoke with him (Wednesday) and once I hung up the cellphone, I assumed, ‘, there is a man who’s dedicated and targeted on success,’ ” USF president Rhea Legislation mentioned. “That was so thrilling for me. I might really feel the vitality. I assumed, ‘We have the precise man.’ ”
“We’re dedicated to creating an unparalleled student-athlete expertise,” USF vp of athletics Michael Kelly mentioned. “We’re creating amenities, including to budgets and clearly adapting to the trendy period of issues we will present for student-athletes. However one factor that by no means goes out of fashion is ardour and laborious work. He has these issues. He is the precise coach for us at this pivotal time.”
Man With A Plan
Kelly mentioned he was impressed by Abdur-Rahim’s thorough plan and unusual consideration to element.
Abdur-Rahim mentioned the USF program will likely be constructed on core values which are spelled out by the acronym “Fact.”
Belief, Duty, Unity, Toughness and Humility.
“We should run to the reality,” Abdur-Rahim mentioned. “The individuals who inform you the reality, these are the individuals who care about you essentially the most. It is one of many issues (our gamers) will study as they develop into males. On daily basis, we are going to stand on these core values. On daily basis, you can be instructed the reality.”
Abdur-Rahim mentioned USF’s type of play will likely be “free-flowing and unselfish.”
“Will probably be a direct reflection of our campus and our group,” Abdur-Rahim mentioned. “Take a look at the Tampa Bay group. Take a look at this campus. Take a look at this facility. It is all free-flowing. It additionally represents laborious work and blue-collar toughness. It is about the precise issues.
“What you are seeing this 12 months within the NCAA Match is it isn’t at all times concerning the staff with the most effective expertise, nevertheless it’s about who’s essentially the most related staff. That is the one factor you may get from an Amir Abdur-Rahim College of South Florida Bulls staff. We would be the most related staff on that courtroom each evening. It’ll take some work to get there. However that is what we work towards daily.”
Abdur-Rahim spoke about “constructing a fence across the Tampa Bay space” and protecting dwelling the highest gamers, whether or not it is from the encompassing counties or the state of Florida as a complete. Typically, he plans to construct USF’s program with high-school gamers.
“You see a variety of actually good highschool gamers simply type of being left within the chilly proper now,” Abdur-Rahim mentioned. “We’re at all times going to begin on the grassroots stage as a result of once you’re recruiting a highschool child, you’ve got a possibility to mould them from Day One.
“Not saying that children within the portal cannot be modified. But when they have been someplace that they’ve had an expertise that wasn’t optimistic, it is laborious to vary that mindset. The children that we constructed relationships with from highschool who go to the portal, these are the best youngsters. We’ll think about the state of Florida, however I’ve recruited nationally in my profession, so we’ll lean on these relationships.”
Abdur-Rahim inherits a program that was 14-18 final season and has only one successful 12 months for the reason that program’s final look within the NCAA Match (2012). He is undaunted by that and believes the Bulls will finally be regarded with the state’s elite groups. And at the moment, that features the Florida Atlantic College Owls, who’ve earned a Remaining 4 berth. Subsequent season, FAU will be part of USF within the American Athletic Convention.
“In terms of (gamers going to) Florida, Florida State and Miami … we wish to be in that dialog,” Abdur-Rahim mentioned. “I respect all the applications and coaches on this state. However we’ll hold the most effective of the most effective, particularly for the state of Florida, proper right here at dwelling.
“I believe a giant connection wins championships. Should you’re essentially the most related staff, you are able to do that. We will construct actual relationships. … Why not us? Why not South Florida? What’s that not attainable? It’s. We have every little thing we should be profitable.”
Together with an awesome instance … proper down the corridor on the Muma Heart. Abdur-Rahim mentioned he is a giant fan of USF’s highly effective girls’s basketball program, led by Coach Jose Fernandez.
“I will be sitting in his workplace and I will be choosing his mind,” Abdur-Rahim mentioned. “He has finished it. He is aware of the method. There is not any secret sauce. It is within the dust, proper? You have simply set to work.”
As soon as the flash of Thursday’s introduction had dissipated, it was again to fundamentals. In actual fact, when Abdur-Rahim arrived in Tampa about 1 a.m., he headed on to downtown for a promotional video.
The crux of his message?
“Let’s go to work.”
Whether or not it is earlier than a crowded room of supporters or a smaller room of gamers, Abdur-Rahim made his message clear. It is what he is all about. From his first impression at USF, you felt that vitality and urgency.
– #GoBulls –
