The Nate Oats era at the Capstone is far from over.
On Monday, The University of Alabama announced that men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats agreed to an extension that will keep him in Tuscaloosa through 2030. The new deal ends on March 14 of that year.
“I am excited and honored for the chance to extend my relationship with the University of Alabama,” Oats said. “I have said from day one, my family and I love this community, the city of Tuscaloosa and the University so I am thankful and appreciative for all the support we have received from President Stuart Bell, Chancellor St. John, The Board of Trustees and Greg Byrne. We have enjoyed tremendous success during our five years at Alabama and we look forward to building on that for many years to come.”
Under Oats’ leadership the last five seasons, Alabama has won two SEC titles and made two Sweet 16 appearances. Alabama has also had six players selected in the NBA draft under Oats, and nine players in total go on to play at the professional level.
“Coach Oats has done a phenomenal job leading Alabama men’s basketball, and we look forward to him doing so for many years to come,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said. “He is not only a great coach but is also an outstanding leader and developer of young men, and we appreciate his commitment to our program.”
Although Alabama will lose assistant coach Austin Claunch after this season, coaches Ryan Pannone and Preston Murphy agreed to new deals as well, extending their time with the program through 2026. The University of Texas at San Antonio announced Sunday that Claunch had accepted the head coaching position at the program.
Oats will look to add another deep NCAA tournament run under his belt starting on Friday, when the 4-seeded Crimson Tide will take on the 13-seeded Charleston Cougars in Spokane, Washington. The game will be broadcast on truTV at 6:35 p.m. CT.
