USF names interim coach, saying Fletcher is the right man to lead Bulls after Abdur-Rahim's death

TAMPA, Fla. -- South Florida introduced Ben Fletcher arsenic interim hoops coach connected Tuesday, saying he’s nan correct man to lead nan Bulls pursuing nan death of Amir Abdur-Rahim.

Fletcher, a adjacent friend of Abdur-Rahim who helped nan precocious coach move astir struggling programs astatine Kennesaw State and USF, promised to thief grieving players header pinch nan nonaccomplishment and uphold a caller modular for occurrence astatine nan American Athletic Conference school.

“He will spearhead america done nan season, I know. We will not effort to hide aliases put emotions to nan side. This is existent life, you know?” Fletcher said.

“Those guys will person to grieve astatine their ain pace. But what we want to do is proceed to move into those young men and make judge they person each nan support they need,” Fletcher added. “But arsenic acold arsenic basketball, we will support his sanction alive.”

Abdur-Rahim, 43, died Thursday from complications that arose while he was undergoing a process astatine a Tampa-area hospital.

The Bulls, who won a school-record 25 games and captured USF’s first convention title successful Abdur-Rahim’s lone play guiding nan program, play an accumulation crippled against Edward Waters connected Wednesday night. The regular play opens adjacent Monday against No. 21 Florida successful Jacksonville.

“We’ve done everything successful our powerfulness to make judge and guarantee that they person had nan due counseling that they need,” Fletcher said.

“They wanted to play. They wanted to believe (last) Saturday,” nan interim coach added. “I was steadfast, ‘You guys show maine erstwhile you’re ready.’ The past point I want to do successful this business is unit those guys to do thing erstwhile they’re grieving arsenic well. ... We're going to uphold nan modular that he near behind.”

Fletcher began his coaching profession astatine his alma mater Troy, which he helped scope nan NCAA Tournament arsenic a subordinate successful 2003 and again arsenic adjunct coach successful 2017.

He served connected Abdur-Rahim's unit for 4 years astatine Kennesaw State, which went from winning 1 crippled successful their first play location to going 26-9 and making nan NCAA Tournament successful 2022-23.

He followed Abdur-Rahim to USF arsenic an adjunct successful 2023. The Bulls went 25-8 past winter, won nan AAC regular-season title and celebrated nan program’s first-ever ranking successful nan AP Top 25 on nan way. Abdur-Rahim was a unanimous action arsenic convention coach of nan year.

“Ben was pinch america past year. He was pinch Coach Amir for nan 4 seasons astatine Kennesaw State and nan unthinkable translator they had there. And, he had a highly successful profession astatine Troy, some arsenic a subordinate and arsenic a coach,” USF vice president for athletics Michael Kelly said.

“There’s nary mobility successful my mind that Ben is nan correct man to lead our programme forward. ... Guys are eager to do what they emotion and what coach wanted to do, some arsenic hoops players and arsenic men," Kelly added. “And truthful they are eager to get connected pinch that transition.”

___

Get canvass alerts and updates connected nan AP Top 25 passim nan season. Sign up here. AP assemblage basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball