Amir Abdur-Rahim’s salary higher than former men’s basketball coach
Men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim signed with USF for six years and will be paid $7.35 million, according to his contract.
Abdur-Rahim’s contract is $770,000 larger than the six-year deal given to former head coach Brian Gregory.
Including $500,000 in base pay and supplemental compensation for public appearances, Abdur-Rahim’s total first-year salary is $1.1 million and jumps to $1.35 million by year six. The figure is higher than Gregory’s, who earned $1 million in his first year.
Compared to Gregory, Abdur-Rahim was also given a bigger staff salary pool at $1 million. The total will increase every two seasons by $25,000 to $1.05 million in 2029.
In addition to Abdur-Rahim’s base salary, USF will pay the $488,120 that Abdur-Rahim owes to his last employer, Kennesaw State, as a part of a clause in his last contract.
As the Owls’ 26-9 (15-3 ASUN) head coach last season, Abdur-Rahim led the team to a program record in regular season wins and an NCAA tournament berth. He was named the Hugh Durham Coach of the Year, an award given to the top mid-major coach in college basketball.
If Abdur-Rahim were to voluntarily terminate the deal, he would owe the university $2 million. That amount gradually decreases to $500,000 in the final year. However, if he were fired without cause, he would be provided his base salary for 20 weeks.
A clause was not present in the event that the Bulls move to a power five conference, a stipulation that was added to new football head coach Alex Golesh’s contract. The school and Golesh agreed to renegotiate the deal if USF joins a power five conference in the future.
Details of the contract include a myriad of performance bonuses. Abdur-Rahim would earn $25,000 for a 20-win season and $30,000 for a 25-win season. There is also a bonus of $25,000 each if the Bulls become regular season and tournament conference champions.
In terms of postseason play, the coach would receive $25,000 for an NCAA Tournament appearance and $15,000 for making the National Invitation Tournament. Abdur-Rahim will rake in $100,000 if the Bulls become national champions.
Other additional figures include an $800 monthly automobile stipend, the use of the home arena loge suite and a provisional country club membership.
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