USF announces Ben Fletcher as men’s basketball interim head coach
Ben Fletcher will serve as the interim head coach for USF men’s basketball this season, Athletics Director Michael Kelly said during a press conference Tuesday.
As an interim head coach, Fletcher will effectively serve out the season as the head coach. Interim coaches typically fill a position on a staff until a team can make a long term hire, whether that be the current coach or another.
The change comes in the wake of head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim’s death last Thursday. Abdur-Rahim died due to complications from a medical procedure at a Tampa-area hospital.
“Coach Amir would want me to do this,” Fletcher said, “I don’t take this lightly.”
The team is still set to play its exhibition match 7 p.m. on Wednesday against Edward Waters University at the Yuengling Center. Its regular season will start on Nov. 4 in a neutral site matchup against Florida in Jacksonville.
Related: USF men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim dies at 43
Kelly was optimistic about tapping Fletcher for the interim position.
“There’s no question in my mind that Ben is the right man to lead our program forward,” Kelly said.
Fletcher was hired in 2023 as an assistant coach to Abdur-Rahim. He worked with Abdur-Rahim for four years at Kennesaw State.
Beginning his career as a player, Fletcher was a starter from 2001-03 for the Troy Trojans, averaging 13.4 points per game. He was a member of the 2002-03 Troy team that made the NCAA tournament.
Fletcher then coached college basketball for 19 years, starting in 2005, with stints at Troy University and Kennesaw State.
Fletcher was hired alongside Abdur-Rahim at Kennesaw State in 2019. Together, they helped the Owls rise from a one-win team to a program in the NCAA tournament. The pair made their way to USF in 2023.
Fletcher said his experience working with Abdur-Rahim helped him as a coach.
“I can’t narrow it down to one thing he’s taught me,” Fletcher said in the press conference. “What he left with me was special.”
Similarly, Fletcher saw success as an assistant coach at Troy, his alma mater. He helped lead the Trojans to a Sun Belt Conference championship as well as an NCAA Tournament berth in 2017.
Related: USF mourns Amir Abdur-Rahim, women’s basketball to face ranked foes and more – Basketball Edition
The Bulls will still continue their exhibition schedule despite the turn of events. USF faces Edward Waters on Wednesday in the Yuengling Center.
Fletcher said that the choice to play was made by the players.
“That was their way of honoring him,” Fletcher said, “they wanted to play.”
USF’s regular season starts at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 against Florida in Jacksonville.
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