Alabama basketball will keep Nate Oats after UNC finds different HC
Thanks to Alabama basketball’s recent contract extension with Nate Oats, fans felt confident that he could not be considered for other jobs. However, the UNC job was a different beast. Thankfully for Tide fans, North Carolina decided to go in a different direction.
UNC is hiring Hubert Davis to replace the legendary Roy Williams. He is a former basketball player for the Tarheels and worked as an assistant coach under Williams. He will be the first Black head coach in UNC men’s basketball history, and he will be one of many former players coaching at their alma mater.
There is no information about who UNC considered for this job, but many believed that Oats at least deserved consideration thanks to his success with Alabama basketball. He never made a statement about the job. Regardless, UNC chose to stick with the internal hire.
Oats has no ties to the ACC. He certainly has no ties to UNC as a program. It might not be a surprise that he will stick with Alabama basketball. Still, it is a sign that Oats is committed to the Tide. UNC is one of the biggest job openings over the past few seasons. The fact that Oats was not rumored to be considered shows that he is not using Alabama as a stepping stone. That doesn’t mean that he will never accept another job, but it would have to be the perfect opportunity to pull him out of Tuscaloosa.
With his focus on analytics and tough mentality, Oats might be better suited for the NBA if he ever leaves Alabama basketball. Either way, he will have to spend more time proving that what he has done with the Tide is sustainable. If he can continuously compete in the SEC, he will be one of the top candidates for any head coaching opening. Hopefully, he will stick with the Tide like he did this time.
With the one major opening filled in 2021’s coaching carousel, Alabama basketball fans can pivot towards the new season with Nate Oats.