It's been a tense 24 hours for the Alabama fanbase since North Carolina officially made the decision to let go of head coach Hubert Davis. Nate Oats was a name that was immediately floated as a potential candidate in Chapel Hill, which was unsurprising considering every Blue Blood job that opens seems to have Oats as a candidate.
That's the price of having a successful program.
But real intel on the UNC coaching search has begun to leak, and with it, some comfort for Crimson Tide fans who are hoping to hang on to Oats for the long haul in Tuscaloosa.
Multiple reports have indicated that the top of North Carolina's wishlist does not include the Alabama head coach. The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman took that a step further on Wednesday, stating he didn't believe Oats - or Florida's Todd Golden - are under any type of consideration in Chapel Hill.
"I don't believe Todd Golden and Nate Oats are in the equation at Carolina," Goodman said.
Nate Oats not 'in the equation' for North Carolina, according to Jeff Goodman
Goodman went on to explain that Oats and Golden don't have the personalities that would gel with UNC, describing both as a bit "rough around the edges."
That's debatable. What isn't debatable is that both are fantastic head coaches who have had an incredible amount of success at their programs.
For Oats, he's already ascended to the best basketball coach in Alabama history. On Friday, Alabama will play in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive season, a program record. It is one win away from a totally unprecedented third straight trip to the Elite Eight, and two wins away from a second trip to the Final Four in three years after never having gone before that.
So if UNC wants to overlook Oats for conceived "baggage" or what have you, good. Whatever keeps him in Tuscaloosa.
Outside opinions of Oats remain absurd, but those opinions might be for the best for the Crimson Tide in keeping Oats with the program for the foreseeable future.