Anytime there's a Blue Blood job opening, Alabama fans are going to get a little bit nervous.
Nate Oats is, without question, one of the best coaches in college basketball. He has led Alabama to unprecedented levels of success. He just secured the Crimson Tide's spot in the Sweet 16 for a fourth consecutive season with a bludgeoning of Texas Tech in 2nd Round, and he led the program to its first Final Four two years ago.
Alabama did this song and dance two years ago during the Final Four run. When the Kentucky job came open, Oats was one of the top names being mentioned, but he ultimately agreed to a contract extension with the Crimson Tide.
Now, with North Carolina officially open, we could be reliving the anxiety of two years ago.
Or maybe not.
According to multiple reports, Oats is not among the top tier of candidates on North Carolina's board. He's on there, but a bit down the list.
CBS Sports' Matt Norlander floated the likes of Brad Stevens, Tommy Lloyd, Dusty May, and TJ Otzelberger before getting to Oats and Florida head coach Todd Golden.
"We float into the Nate Oats and Todd Golden realm. I'm told those names would not be as high on the list as the names that I gave you," Norlander said.
Nate Oats not as high on UNC's list as Alabama fans might have feared
North Carolina is certainly shooting for the stars in this coaching search. It's a national search, and for the first time, the Heels aren't looking at someone inside the Carolina family.
This is one of the best jobs in college basketball, and its opening should have any program in the country with a good head coach a bit nervous. Alabama fans certainly are, though the reporting by Norlander and others that Oats isn't at the top of the board should be a bit of early relief.
That's not to say things can't change quickly, however, especially if those top names on the North Carolina board ultimately turn the job down.
Oats has one of the bigger buyouts in college basketball right now at $18 million, but that number drops to $10 million effective April 1st. It's still a big number for basketball, though not quite as off-putting.
While Alabama fans might feel an early sense of relief, Greg Byrne should operate as if Oats is at the top of the list for UNC. There's no point in waiting: get a contract extension and a bigger buyout done with Oats before the end of the month.