The Nate Oats story just keeps getting better.
Basketball fans from around the country have gotten to know the Watertown native’s story during the past several seasons. He took mid-major Buffalo to the NCAA tournament, and has since guided Alabama to three Sweet 16 appearances in his first five seasons as coach of the Crimson Tide.
Known more for its football dynasty, Alabama is now basking in basketball glory after upsetting top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 in the round of 16 on Thursday to reach the Elite 8 for just the second time in program history and the first since 2004.
History was made on Saturday night when the Crimson Tide beat Clemson 89-82 to advance the Final Four for the first time.
“The feeling is surreal, to be honest,” Oats said via text Sunday. “Couldn’t be happier for a group of guys to pull this together these past couple weeks. So, so proud of these guys.”
I first interviewed Oats after his 11th and final season coaching prep boys basketball at Romulus High School, when the Maranatha graduate and former UW-Whitewater assistant led the suburban Detroit school to its first state championship.
He joined former Duke star Bobby Hurley’s staff as an assistant at Buffalo the following year, then took over the head coaching job and quickly took the Bulls to the next level.
We spoke shortly after Buffalo upset Syracuse during his final season in upstate New York, and the vibe was one of giddiness with how well things were going.
That made him a hot prospect for Division I college programs looking to elevate their standing in the basketball world. Courted by the likes of UCLA and others, Oats ultimately decided Alabama was a better fit. One reason he mentioned to me was the state’s strong Baptist heritage, which aligned with his upbringing in Watertown.
Five years later, Oats has turned the Crimson Tide from a middle-of-the-pack SEC program into a perennial power. His first Sweet 16 team lost to UCLA in 2021 in what ESPN analyst Jay Bilas described as one of the top five most exciting games in tournament history.
Last year, the Crimson Tide entered the dance as the No. 1 overall seed, but they were upset by fifth-seeded San Diego State.
“Such a disappointing finish to a great year,” Oats said via text last year. “Really proud of what this team accomplished this season, though. They really pulled together and had a memorable season. They’ve taken this program to new heights that give us something to build on. Just disappointed we don’t get to continue playing.”
What a year it has been for Oats since then.
Basketball pundits have marveled at how the former high school math teacher — a fact announcer Bill Raftery loved bringing up during last year’s March Madness games — rebuilt and reloaded this program at lightning speed.
Eight of nine players from last year’s team, as well as three assistant coaches and four members of the support staff, all departed. The newly assembled cast finished the regular season 25-11 and finished in a four-way tie for second place in the SEC at 13-5 behind champion Tennessee (14-4).
The fourth-seeded Crimson Tide performed as expected in a first round win over No. 13 Charleston and a second-round win over No. 12 Grand Canyon, then pulled off their best game of the season in the victory over North Carolina.
After trading huge runs with another high-powered offense, Alabama turned up the defense down the stretch to knock off the Tar Heels. I made it a point to never bother coach Oats with texts during the tournament in previous seasons. This is a busy guy, after all.
But this was a special moment for him and his players. I couldn’t resist. I took a screenshot of him during his postgame interview and sent it along with a congratulatory note, as well as a shout out for those styling blazers he wears.
In the wee hours, he was still riding high over that win.
“These guys really stepped up on the defensive end,” Oats said. “So proud of how they’ve turned it around. Grant Nelson was an absolute beast! (Mark) Sears and (Nick) Pringle’s leadership have been unbelievable, too. Gotta give a ton of credit to our staff, too.”
Alabama avenged an 85-77 loss to Clemson back in November, overcoming an early 26-13 first half deficit in the rematch with unconscious 3-point shooting and clutch rebounding and defense.
The Tide’s next assignment? Reigning national champion Connecticut, who is coached by Dan Hurley, brother to Oats’ former boss at Buffalo.
Crimson Tide Athletic Director Greg Byrne recently extended Oats’ contract for six seasons, in which he will earn $5 million next season and $7.5 million during the final season in 2030.
It certainly looks to be money well spent. NBA Hall of Famer and noted Auburn alumnus Charles Barkley was successfully chided into shouting out “Roll Tide!” at the conclusion of Alabama’s win over Clemson during the Inside March Madness postgame studio report.
This would be the same Barkley who described Nelson as “frail” earlier in the tournament. Oats clapped back at Barkley after Nelson dropped 24 points and 12 rebounds on North Carolina in the postgame interview.
Announcer Brian Anderson lauded Oats as one of the top coaches in the country after the win over Clemson.
It’s gratifying to see. Oats is as authentic a feel-good story as there is in college basketball. And with the bright lights of the Final Four looming, even more people are going to hear it.
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