Nate Oats isn't going anywhere.
That's the biggest takeaway from his press conference on Thursday, just over 24 hours before Alabama faces off against Michigan in the program's unprecedented fourth consecutive appearance in the Sweet 16.
Rumors swirled around Oats and the North Carolina job as soon as Hubert Davis was fired, particularly in the aftermath of some clear NIL frustration after Alabama missed out on 5-star guard - and Alabama native - Caleb Holt earlier this month.
But Oats reaffirmed his commitment to the Crimson Tide on Thursday under no unncertain terms:
"I haven't talked to anybody, nor do I plan on talking to anybody," Oats said.
"I'm not a guy that is always trying to jump around. ...I love Alabama. My girls love Alabama. They’re here with me. I love working with the administration that I work with. I think Greg Byrne’s the best AD in the country. I love working with him. I'd love to work with him the rest of my career.
“They’re doing everything they can to make sure that we’ve got a competitive program. And as long as we’re able to compete to win championships here, SEC, national championships — we haven’t done that here yet. I’d love to be the coach to bring us to our first national championship."
Nate Oats says there's 'no reason to leave' Alabama
Contrast the comments by Oats with the comments by Arizona's Tommy Lloyd, and it paints a completely different picture. While Oats is undoubtedly flattered to be mentioned for jobs like North Carolina now and Kentucky two years ago, he also understands he's got a pretty good thing going in Tuscaloosa.
He's already established himself as the best basketball coach in Crimson Tide history. He's also already accomplished things that never felt possible here, and winning a national title in basketball for Alabama no longer feels like a pipe dream.
"There’s absolutely no reason to leave here," Oats said. "While it’s flattering that a high school guy that caught a couple breaks would be mentioned in some of these jobs, because they’ve got a lot of tradition, I’m not a guy that’s looking to get out of here any time soon. I love it here. My girls love it here. I love working with the people of Alabama. So, yeah, names are going to get mentioned. I’m probably one of 10 or 12. It is what it is. That’s the business. But I haven’t talked to anybody, nor do I plan to talk to anybody."
This won't be the last coaching cycle in which Oats is listed as a candidate for another job. That's a byproduct of running a successful program.
But as he has done numerous times during his seven-year Alabama tenure, Oats reaffirmed his commitment and love for the University of Alabama on Thursday.
And that's a bigger win than any the Crimson Tide could get on the court this week.