TAMPA, Fla. – Ben Fletcher was with Amir Abdur-Rahim every step of the way during a four-year run that saw them help rebuild Kennesaw State into a NCAA tournament team. The two moved on to USF prior to the 2023-24 season and helped lead the Bulls to their first-ever conference title and an NIT bid.
Long before Fletcher and Abdur-Rahim worked together at KSU they played against each other in college. The former was at Troy and the latter at Southeastern Louisiana. So, if there is somebody qualified to take over the Bulls and carry on the qualities of Abdur-Rahim, who passed at way at 43 last Thursday, it is Fletcher, who was elevated to associate head coach in June.
“There is no question in my mind that Ben is the right man to lead our program forward,” athletic director Michael Kelly said during a press conference Tuesday morning introducing Fletcher as the program’s interim head coach. “Coach Amir built an elite staff and we have a great staff to guide us through the season. There is no better person than associate coach Ben Fletcher.”
Fletcher, an Alabama native, played at Troy and spent 14 years as an assistant with the Trojans prior to joining Abdur-Rahim at KSU.
“It is a difficult time as you know, but I know Coach Amir would want me to do this,” said Fletcher, fighting back tears. “Just know that I do not take this lightly.”
READ: Memorial Services Announced For USF Basketball Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim
An exhibition scheduled for last Saturday in Miami was canceled. It was too soon to even think about playing a game after Abdur-Rahim’s passing, so the team practiced and otherwise spent the day together. Wednesday’s (7 p.m.) exhibition against Edwin Waters at the Yuengling Center will be played as scheduled.
“The biggest thing is making sure we give our guys, as well as the staff, the support that they really need,” said Fletcher. “I think the guys are moving in the right direction. They knew coach loved them. They know the staff loves them. I’m making sure they get the support that they need.”
In his only season at USF, Abdur-Rahim was a unanimous choice for American Athletic Conference coach of the year after leading the Bulls (25-8/16-2) to the program’s first regular season conference title. The 25 wins were a single-season mark and USF also cracked the top 25 for the first time.
READ: USF Men’s Basketball Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim Passes Away At 43
A public celebration of Abdur-Rahim’s life will take place at the Yuengling Center on Saturday at 11 a.m. A service was held in his honor last Sunday at Kennesaw State University, which is near his hometown of Marietta, Ga.
In lieu of flowers, Abdur-Rahim’s family requests that anyone wanting to honor his memory can donate to Future Foundation. Fans can also post notes of remembrance at gousfbulls.com.
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