Nate Oats implementing ‘zero tolerance’ policy for effort, attention

Two losses for Alabama can partially be directed to slow starts. Both Auburn and Missouri got off to flying starts against the Crimson Tide to make them play from behind. A big bounce-back was needed on Saturday against Kentucky as Nate Oats was over the trend.

Before the first-half under-16 timeout hit, Alabama had made five substitutions. Oats was implementing his “zero tolerance” policy for lack of effort or not understanding the scouting report. Turnovers are another thing bothering the head coach before even getting to a commercial break.

“It was more zero tolerance for (lack of) effort,” Oats said on the subs. “It wasn’t so much an effort thing but I basically said ‘There’s going to be zero tolerance for effort, scouting report screw-ups — that’s a bigger thing. We put a scouting report in, it needs to be found, needs to be locked in, needs to be the right thing. And then don’t turn the ball over. We need to stop turning the ball over.”

Oats admits he is not completely sure if the strategy worked. When the under-16 timeout did happen, Kentucky had 16 points while Alabama was still under double-digits. Not as bad as the Auburn or Missouri starts but still not ideal.

More than anything, Oats just wants to make sure the effort is at the maximum level at all times. Not an issue on the offensive end for Alabama, being one of the best in the country in scoring. Very few teams are able to stop the Crimson Tide when shots are falling.

But the defensive end is where work was needed. Oats has been challenging his players to play with a standard of effort and liked the results against Kentucky.

“I don’t know that it worked,” Oats said. “But that’s the way it’s going to be moving forward. I’m tired of guys not being locked into a scouting report. If you grade our effort levels 1-10, it’s not like we’ve got anyone giving four, five, six but there’s levels to this thing. We can’t be giving an eight or a nine. We need a 10. Just going to challenge the guys and they responded well.”

Alabama does not see the schedule slow down anytime soon, welcoming Mississippi State to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday. Chris Jans‘ team has already given Alabama plenty of trouble this season and another maximum-effort game will be required. The policy from Oats is now in place and set to be used moving forward.