While Alabama is gearing up to open the NCAA Tournament on Friday against 13-seeded Hofstra, it's hard not to let your mind wander on the future of the Crimson Tide after an opening round upset on Thursday night of another program.
North Carolina's stunning collapse against VCU sent the Tar Heels home in the Round of 64 for the second consecutive season and could prompt a coaching change in Chapel Hill. UNC has steadily gotten worse throughout Davis's tenure as Roy Williams's replacement. After making it all the way to the National Championship Game in year one, Davis has only gotten the Heels out of the first round one time since. That, ironically, resulted in a loss to Nate Oats and Alabama in the 2024 Sweet 16.
Davis's future appears in doubt. If it were up to North Carolina fans, he would have been fired immediately after the game last night. His surly postgame press conference certainly didn't do him any favors, and losing before Duke in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season can't sit well with the shotcallers of one of college basketball's biggest brands.
Anytime there's a potential opening at a Blue Blood program like Carolina, Oats's name will inevitably be brought up. That's already the case in a hypothetical list of candidates to replace Davis if the Heels ultimately make a move.
Oats rejected overtures from Kentucky two years ago during Alabama's Final Four run. He's had opportunities to leave the Crimson Tide and hasn't, but it's no secret that there has been some bubbling frustration for the Alabama head coach over the lack of money available in the program to chase high-level recruits. That frustration boiled over after Caleb Holt, a 5-star guard and Alabama native, chose to take his talents to Arizona.
He would not have those problems at North Carolina, coaching at a school that is basketball first, football second.
Nate Oats could be a top candidate at North Carolina if Heels fire Hubert Davis
Oats has an impeccable resume at Alabama during his seven-year tenure in Tuscaloosa. He has brought the Crimson Tide to new heights, breaking through the program's Sweet 16 glass ceiling in back-to-back tournaments, including leading them to their first-ever Final Four two years ago.
Regardless of what happens in this year's NCAA Tournament, Oats is already arguably the best coach in the history of the program.
But Greg Byrne and the shot-callers for the University will need to pony up - both with a contract extension and NIL investment - to keep him around for the long haul. He has been open about how much his family loves Tuscaloosa. Most expect him to stick around until his youngest daughter graduates high school, at least, which is still several years away.
But if a program like North Carolina comes calling, it won't be easy to say no. Oats wants to win a national championship. He prefers to do it at Alabama, and he's capable of doing so. But he would immediately have the resources available in Chapel Hill to chase the top talent in the country, making his job of roster-building considerably easier.
This could be an interesting offseason in Tuscaloosa. Bryne will do everything within his power to keep Oats around, but it's fair to question whether that will be enough if the North Carolina job opens and they target the Tide's head coach.