Community remembers former Kennesaw State University basketball coach in celebration of life

The college basketball community gathered on Sunday to remember and celebrate the life of former KSU men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim .

He died Wednesday after complications during a medical procedure at a Tampa, Florida hospital.

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Channel 2 Action News was there the late coach’s basketball family from the University of South Florida arrived to join the KSU family to honor Coach Abdur-Rahim.

Before his death, he was preparing to start his second season as the men’s head basketball coach at USF.

His wife, Arianne Buchanan, spoke during the service.

“I want my best friend back.”

Abdur-Rahim’s wife along with several coaches, friends, and other family members spoke one after the other for more than two hours about the beloved coach that said was a man of faith and family.

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The Marietta native, who played his high school basketball at Wheeler was a rising star in the world of coaching. In his fourth year as head coach at KSU, the 2022-2023 men’s basketball team made history by making it to the Big Dance of March Madness.

Coach is known for giving back and for his support of The Future Foundation . His family is asking that donations be made to the organization in his name.

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