Whatever you think about Nate Oats, one thing is abundantly clear if you have spent any amount of time around him or listening to him talk.
He's honest.
Brutally so.
And sometimes that honesty gets him into hot water. He's unabashedly himself everywhere he goes.
On Thursday, with a Sweet 16 matchup against 1-seed Michigan on the horizon, Oats was asked about his potential interest in the vacant North Carolina coaching job, as he has often been asked when a Blue Blood job has come open during his seven-years in Tuscaloosa.
There was little ambiguity in his statement. He's at Alabama to stay.
He also indicated that a contract extension was close, though he doesn't yet have an offer in hand. He's not that concerned about it, though.
"They don’t need to be in a huge rush to fix a really good contract that I’ve got right now," Oats said. "On March 15 my salary went up $500,000. I still can’t believe I’m getting paid this much. I’m coaching basketball. Guys, I did this thing free at Maranatha for three years. I got paid $500 out of the Warhawk fund at Whitewater a year for the next two years. I made 4,700 dollars a year for 11 years.
"So add it up. For the first 16 years I coached basketball, it was less than $50,000 total. My salary goes up a half million dollars every year. Glorified PE teacher making too much money right now. I’m not going to complain."
Nate Oats is happy with his current Alabama contract, but that's not good enough
Oats is always candid, and I believe he means what he says. But just because he's happy with his contract as is, it doesn't mean it can't get better. And Greg Byrne knows that, and that's why they are currently working toward another one.
The urgency for that comes with a reduced buyout for Oats on April 1st. His current buyout of $18 million drops to $10 million next week, making him more attainable for another program or an NBA team.
More so than more money in his pocket, Oats would probably rather have more assurances in terms of NIL/rev share support in his new contract. He understands he makes plenty of money, and what's important to him more than anything is being able to compete at the highest level.
He's done that consistently at Alabama, but he wants to take the next step as a program. Instead of being close, Oats is ready to break through and deliver the first national championship in basketball for Alabama.
He's certainly the coach to do it. And with a little bit more money, he can build a roster that can compete with any team in the country, fulfilling his biggest goal.