Alabama Basketball: Nate Oats ‘Pay that man his money’

On Friday, included in the agenda for the University of Alabama Board of Trustees (BOT) is the consideration of Nate Oats’ contract. The Alabama Basketball head coach was awarded a new six-season deal in February 2021. It raised his base salary from $2.462M to $3.237M.

In the two months following the 2021 contract extension, the Crimson Tide won the SEC Regular Season Championship, the SEC Tournament Championship, and two NCAA Tournament games. In the 2021-22 season and so far this season, Oats’ Crimson Tide teams have won 38 games.

Many in the college basketball world have decided Nate Oats has made Alabama more than a football school. All the recognition and attention are great for the University. It also brings with it a problem. Every time a big-time college basketball job is rumored to soon open, Nate Oats is mentioned.

Earlier this season, plenty of Kentucky basketball fans wanted John Calipari out and Oats hired to rejuvenate the Wildcats. Such a change was not going to happen because Calipari has a $40M-plus buyout clause. There will be other, high-profile openings where interest in Oats will match the feasibility to hire him. Notre Dame will have a new coach next season. There could be an opening at Syracuse as well. Another iconic, East Coast program, Georgetown will shock the college basketball world if it does not start chasing a replacement for Patrick Ewing soon.

The price tag schools are willing to pay for Nate Oats keeps growing. It is possible a $6M offer is in his near future.

Alabama AD, Greg Byrne no doubt knows well the value of Nate Oats. The Alabama BOT should stymie any efforts to pull Nate Oats away from Tuscaloosa. In the SEC, Calipari makes $8.1M in base salary, with a lifetime contract. Bill Self at Kansas also has a lifetime contract. With incentives and bonuses, the two men make around $10M annually

The Alabama basketball program is not on par with Kansas or Kentucky. Though not many college basketball coaches make above $5M per year in base salary, the range for a top guy to lead a top program is $5M-$7M per season.

Rick Barnes at Tennessee and Bruce Pearl at Auburn make slightly more than $5M in annual base salary. Alabama should do no less than push Oats well over what Pearl makes. Instead of quibbling over a few hundred thousand, a bump for Oats should push him to a $6M base salary.

Alabama Basketball – Projected New Contact

Late Thursday afternoon, reports came out that the BOT action on Friday will be a formality. The new annual salary amount is estimated at around $5M.

Yes, the recommendation of $6M would almost double his salary. Maybe that bump is too much for the BOT, although Alabama could afford it.

Hopefully, In exchange for the raise, Oats’ buyout will be raised from its current $9.8M to at least $18M. The current buyout for Alabama to terminate the contract without cause is 75% of the remaining base, which is not expected to change.

Also on the BOT agenda is a contract extension for Alabama Soccer coach, Wes Hart. Hart’s performance also has earned a hefty raise.