Donald Hense had lots to worry about when he opened Friendship Collegiate Academy in 2000 — creating a football team was not one of his priorities.
But when a 27-year-old counselor approached him about forming a team in 2003, Hense, Friendship’s founder, could not resist. Aazaar Abdul-Rahim’s authenticity and passion were obvious, he said.
“He approached it in terms of school. And if you can talk to me about Black boys going to college, then we got something to talk about,” Hense said.
More than 20 years later, Abdul-Rahim is back in the Washington, D.C., area, this time as Maryland football’s co-defensive coordinator, associate head coach for defense and cornerbacks coach.
Maryland Athletics declined to make Abdul-Rahim available for comment.
Abdul-Rahim has migrated to different parts of the country, but he’s always returned to the DC-Maryland-Virginia area. That’s not a coincidence, according to longtime friend and D.C. councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.
“[He] never forgets where he’s from. He always comes back,” McDuffie said.
The Dunbar High School graduate grew up in the nation’s capital, becoming a football standout at the Washington, D.C., public high school. He attended Mesa Community College for a year before transferring to San Diego State.
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His playing days ended out west before Abdul-Rahim transitioned back to the East Coast and to an educational role at Friendship Collegiate Academy.
Abdul-Rahim approached Hense about starting a football program. Hense said he was worried about the costs, but Abdul-Rahim told him that football could change students’ lives, like it did for him.
“It was always about helping our communities … using football as a vehicle,” Friendship Collegiate Academy coach Mike Hunter said. “It’s his life mission.”
The program started out slow, going winless in its inaugural season. But Abdul-Rahim eventually turned Friendship into a regional powerhouse. He won a District of Columbia State Athletic Association championship in 2012 and helped more than 100 athletes earn scholarships to play college football in his tenure.
Alabama noticed the program’s prominence and hired Abdul-Rahim as a defensive analyst in 2014 before he joined D.J. Durkin’s staff in College Park two years later.
Abdul-Rahim quickly helped Maryland accumulate talent that included eventual NFL players Anthony McFarland and Jaelyn Duncan. After brief stops at Massachusetts and Boston College, coach Michael Locksley plucked Abdul-Rahim from the Eagles to become the Terps’ new cornerbacks coach.
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“His ability to connect and figure out how to connect with the young guy, to get them to buy into our standard, that’s what he does,” Locksley said. “I call those types of coaches lion tamers.”
Abdul-Rahim’s authenticity is at the core of his recruiting mission. Locksley said he uses his background as a way to connect with prospects and their families.
The Terps have landed six four-star commits from the DC-Maryland-Virginia area since Abdul-Rahim was hired in January. More than 65 percent of the program’s 2025 commits hail from the region.
“It’s one thing to be from here, but to really understand the lifestyle of what the fabric of what being a DMV guy represents, is what Aazaar is,” Locksley said.
DeMatha coach Bill McGregor said Abdul-Rahim makes it a point to be visible in the community. He’s “not a stranger” in the Washington, D.C., area, which is why McGregor and other coaches hold him in high regard.
McGregor said he trusts Abdul-Rahim. Hunter said he still leans on Abdul-Rahim for advice. Locksley called him a great developer.
“You knew he’s going to be a really good college coach,” McGregor said.
Maryland has to replace Tarheeb Still, Ja’Quan Sheppard and Beau Brade this year. Abdul-Rahim’s impact on the secondary is crucial to Maryland’s success in 2024.
