TAMPA — Had fate shown just a little more leniency, USF interim basketball coach Ben Fletcher might have been afforded time for a deep breath.

Had his world been dislodged in, say, late May instead of late October, he would have had the opportunity to put basketball aside, grieve properly, counsel and comfort his players, and methodically chart a path for the program going forward.

But tragedy is ruthless, bluntly upending seasons and stability and sublime moments. Former Bulls coach Amir Abdur-Rahim — Fletcher’s boss, close friend and confidant — died suddenly on Oct. 24 , the virtual dawn of the 2024-25 season.

“I think the timing was the hardest thing for me,” Fletcher said Monday. “This happened two days before we were supposed to go scrimmage against Miami. Well now, we’re less than a week from playing Edward Waters (in an Oct. 30 home exhibition). If you tell me today, ‘Fletch, you’re a head coach this next coming year,’ there are some things that I would love to get done to get myself prepared.”

Fletcher had neither the time to prepare or even process. Two days after Abdur-Rahim’s celebration-of-life service inside the Yuengling Center, the Bulls opened the season against Florida, by far the most daunting foe on their slate.

Yet against this backdrop of upheaval and chaos and mourning, Fletcher has led USF to 13 wins. A program that lost its coach and top three scorers from last season’s American Athletic Conference regular season championship club has remained mostly competitive all winter.

“They buried (Abdur-Rahim), and then had to play a game two days later,” former Bulls point guard and assistant Tommy Tonelli said.

“I couldn’t even imagine the roller-coaster of emotions, not just that he had to deal with as an individual and as a human being, but then to try and manage all the other coaches and staff and the players, as a team and individually. I mean, golly, it’s almost an impossible situation. And they’re right at .500, right? Just below or just above?”

Specifically, they’re 13-18, with three losses by a single possession. A few fortunate breaks, and the Bulls might have entered this week’s AAC tournament with a winning record.

But fortunate breaks spurned this program months ago. In addition to the tragedy and transfers, 6-foot-9 veteran D’Ante Green remains on the shelf with an injury, and 6-8 senior Corey Walker Jr. was removed from the roster after a midseason suspension.

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Take all those circumstances into account, and those who have poured the most sweat equity into the program (such as former players) insist neither John Calipari nor John Thompson nor John Wooden could have managed the Bulls any better than Fletcher, an Abdur-Rahim assistant for more than a half-decade.

“They played so well the first year ... but they also lost three starters. No one talks about that,” said Bulls icon Charlie Bradley, who remains the program’s all-time leading scorer.

“They lost three starters that contributed a lot, other than losing (Abdur-Rahim), man, which was the worst thing that could happen to the program. I just tried to put myself in the situation, and I think he’s done a greater job than anyone that took over would’ve done.”

Yet for all practical intents, Fletcher’s tenure likely ends with his next defeat. While the 44-year-old Troy University alumnus undoubtedly will be among those considered for the job, athletic director Michael Kelly is expected to conduct a national search for Abdur-Rahim’s permanent replacement, owing that to his constituents and university.

All well and good. Just grade Fletcher on a gracious curve, longtime observers say.

“The effort has been great considering the weight of rebuilding with an almost completely new team,” said former Bulls great Tony Grier, replaced by Bradley as USF’s career scoring king.

Tonelli, who spent two different stints as a Bulls assistant after his playing career ended, suggests giving Fletcher one more season, just to see how he performs in a presumably far more stable setting.

“Not that it wasn’t his team, but it wasn’t his team,” Tonelli said. “I mean, he recruited them, but those guys came to USF with the intention of playing for Coach Amir as the head coach. ... I came to USF to play for Lee Rose. I didn’t come to play for an assistant coach, I came to play for Lee Rose, you know what I mean?

“So what I’m saying is, I just think you’ve got to give him one year to do it with guys that he put together, and they’re coming there knowing that he’s the head coach, and seeing what he can do to get the guys that he wants to have.”

Probably a pipe dream. Which still beats the nightmares Fletcher has been forced to navigate the last five months.

“I know for me personally, you’re with somebody for six years, it doesn’t just take a couple of months to push that to the side,” Fletcher said.

“There are things that happen daily that spark memories, both good and bad. It’s just one of those deals, but I know I have to be that guy for those (players) to make sure they have an example, and that’s all I’ve wanted to do this year — be the example for those guys on showing up every day, no matter how you feel.”

No grace period

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