Nate Oats Isn’t Going Anywhere
After the Indiana Hoosiers parted ways with head coach Archie Miller, many names were thrown out as to who could potentially replace Miller at the helm of one of college basketball's most storied programs.
One of those names in the rumor mill was Alabama head coach Nate Oats. It is easy to see why other schools may have their eyes on coach Oats. In just his second year at Alabama, the Tide won the SEC regular season title for the first time since 2002, and the SEC Tournament for the first time since 1991.
But according to multiple sources, Crimson Tide fans have nothing to worry about, as Nate Oats is not interested in Indiana or any other job that isn't in Tuscaloosa.
Oats is completely locked into what he is building at Alabama. During an interview with WJOX 94.5 FM, Oats stated, "If I was interested in some of those other jobs, I wouldn't have been as aggressive as we were in signing that extension. I'm from the Midwest, jobs in the Midwest will open up, but the reality is I'm not interested in those jobs."
Oats went on to say that Greg Byrne was great to him and that he loves working with him at Alabama. "When he sat down and offered me the extension and a raise, he said, ‘There’s give and take.’ And he’s right. They’ve put their foot forward for me, and I’m gonna do the same. They bumped the buyout up, which is fine. Like I said earlier, I don’t really care what the buyout is, I’m not going anywhere.”
Coach Oats and the team appear to be fully focused on the task at hand and on their first round matchup with the Rick Pitino led 15 seed Iona Gaels. A distraction of a coach potentially leaving is not something that you want hanging over your head as you head into the most pressure packed part of the season.
The university and the town of Tuscaloosa don't want Oats to go anywhere. And as it appears, coach Oats doesn't want to be anywhere else either.