Despite being heavily rumored as the next Head Coach of Kentucky, Nate Oats is staying put in Tuscaloosa per a statement he made on Twitter.
— Nate Oats (@nate_oats) April 9, 2024
The news is incredible for Alabama Basketball. Something truly special is brewing in Tuscaloosa and Nate Oats is the Brewmaster. Oats will continue to build his legacy at Alabama. He is already the greatest coach in program history with four NCAA Tournament appearances, a Final Four, and an overall 117-54 record in five Alabama seasons.
Oats is fresh off his best season yet, despite this roster not being one of his better teams for parts of the year. He'll bring in the seventh-ranked recruiting class as well as highly touted transfer Houston Mallette to the 2024-25 roster.
The attention for Nate Oats now turns towards convincing some of his players to return for another run in 2024-25. Outside of Aaron Estrada, everyone from the final four team has eligibility left, making retaining Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, and others very important.
At the end of the day Alabama can offer everything to Oats that Kentucky could offer him. Oats is still one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport, works with one of the best athletic directors in the sport, and Oats has built his own program. In the current era of college sports, being at a traditional "Blue Blood" no longer matters.
National Championship Potential in 2025
It's way too early, however, depending on who the Alabama Basketball team brings back the group could easily enter the year as National Championship contenders. Nate Oats shooting down the rumors early will send a statement that Alabama Basketball is here to stay. His system and the success of the '24 team will excite potential recruits. The 2025 season will depend on whether Oats can get Grant Nelson and Mark Sears to return for one more year. If they do, both can be contenders for Player of the Year.