The price of having a great coach, especially at a non-blue blood program, is that you will have to deal with constant speculation of that coach leaving for another job. Nate Oats has consistently shut down any and all rumors over the years. He's taken every opportunity he can to publicly and privately show he's committed to being at Alabama.
But those rumors will never fully die. And despite signing a contract extension back in April, college basketball writers and wishful thinkers immediately put Oats' name on the shortlist for the Michigan job as soon as Dusty May accepted an offer to become the head coach of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.
Oats spent 11 years coaching high school basketball in Michigan, so it doesn't take much of a leap to connect the dots there.
But Oats has a buyout of $15 million through next March. It only comes down to $12 million for the following year. And while Michigan may have interest after next season, his buyout would make that untenable, even if he had interest. Which it does not appear that he does.
"I'm very happy with where I'm at in Alabama. I've got a pretty hefty buyout for a good reason, because I don't plan on leaving here," Oats said on ESPN Radio. "Hopefully, Coach [Mike] Boynton does really well this year. I think the plan is he's there for the year, at a minimum. I think they're pretty well set going into this year. I think it would be a smart move with the roster they've got together to keep some continuity there. I will not be in maize and blue, if that's what you're asking."
Nate Oats immediately shuts down speculation of his interest in the Michigan job
Michigan worked quickly after May left to promote assistant coach Mike Boynton, formerly the head coach at Oklahoma State, to be the interim head coach. They didn't have much of a choice this late in the cycle to be able to keep their roster intact with a brief Transfer Portal window set to open because of May's departure.
Boynton will have a full year's audition to get the interim tag removed. Michigan will decide after next season whether it will pursue a full coaching search. It's a job that will certainly generate significant interest after the Wolverines showed a willingness to significantly invest in the program, culminating in this past season's national championship.
But it won't be Oats.
As annoying as the constant rumors have been, it's a good problem to have for Alabama fans. You want to have a coach who has built a good enough program that he's desirable for others. Oats has taken the Crimson Tide to heights they've never before gotten to. Alabama has made four straight trips to the Sweet 16, two trips to the Elite Eight, and made the Final Four for the first time ever in 2024.
Oats plans to go even further. He is fully committed to winning a national title, a thought that might have seemed far-fetched just a decade ago.
It no longer does.
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