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Alabama Basketball: Quick takes, pros and cons on hiring Nate Oats

By Ronald Evans

TULSA, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 22: Head coach Nate Oats of the Buffalo Bulls reacts from the sidelines during the second half of the first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Arizona State Sun Devils at BOK Center on March 22, 2019 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 22: Head coach Nate Oats of the Buffalo Bulls reacts from the sidelines during the second half of the first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Arizona State Sun Devils at BOK Center on March 22, 2019 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Alabama basketball has a new head coach. Greg Byrne is bringing Buffalo head coach, Nate Oats to Tuscaloosa. Check out a quick take on the pros and cons.

Nate Oats is the new Alabama basketball head coach, the school announced Wednesday afternoon. Oats will leave the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference to take over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The decision was a surprise to most Alabama basketball fans hoping for a splashy hire with proven NCAA Tournament success. Oats had some NCAA Tournament success in his four years of college coaching. He led the Bulls to the Big Dance three out of the four years in his college head coach career. Oats was also an assistant to head coach Bobby Hurley for two seasons before becoming the Bulls head coach.

Oats accomplished a new victory milestone for Buffalo this season, winning 32 games. His teams had a few wins against Top Division One programs, including beating Arizona handily in last year’s NCAA Tournament. This season the Bulls beat West Virginia and Syracuse in the regular season and blew out Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State team in the NCAA Tournament first round.

A couple of weeks ago, Pete Thamel wrote Oats,

"has emerged as the runaway coaching star in college basketball this season."

A deeper look at Oats’ resume shows he was the most successful ever coach at Romulus High School in Michigan.

"Less than six years ago, Oats was teaching five math classes a day – algebra, geometry and statistics – at Romulus High School in Michigan. He sold Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Capri Suns and Pop-Tarts out of his office to fundraise for his basketball program and in 11 seasons transformed the school into a state and national power."

Alabama basketball fans will likely find the story of Oats’ work ethic commendable. But he falls far short of who most fans hoped Greg Byrne could lure to Tuscaloosa. There is scant evidence to suggest Oats can consistently win against top SEC competition. There is no evidence he can recruit top players. Beating out Prairie View A&M for recruits will not be enough to compete in the SEC.

The biggest ‘con’ argument against Oats comes from the leap of faith required for Tide fans to believe. There will be no ‘buckle up’ mantras. Fans will begin by hoping Oats’ Crimson Tide teams don’t get run over.

Quickly Oats must re-recruit Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty. Next season will be painful without them. Pulling in Trendon Watford seems like a longshot unless Oats chooses to hire Bucky McMillan.

On the ‘pro’ side, Oats appears ready to battle any foe. The Thamel story said Oats offended many Pac 12 coaches last year when after beating Arizona, he called the Wildcats soft. His Buffalo teams played tough, physical, man-to-man defense. A ‘get-in-their-face’ mentality is not a bad starting point for building Alabama basketball.

It will take more than that though – a lot more. Alabama basketball fans will just have to wait and see if Nate Oats is up to the task.

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