Skip to main content
Join
Team Avatar
Alabama

Nate Oats expresses regret over Brandon Miller pregame patdown: 'We all feel awful about it'

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•02/28/23•

NickSchultz_7

Nate Oats and Brandon Miller
Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images

Alabama head coach Nate Oats has expressed regret following Saturday’s pregame introductions, which involved a teammate patting down Brandon Miller. The ritual became a topic of conversation following police testimony that linked Miller to last month’s shooting involving former Alabama player Darius Miles.

Oats met with reporters Tuesday and apologized. After Saturday’s win over Arkansas, he said he didn’t know about the introduction and ritual, but didn’t hesitate to say it wouldn’t happen again. Tuesday, Oats confirmed the conversation occurred and he took the blame for not stopping the routine.

He also explained why the players patted down starters out of the tunnel, which is a tradition that goes back to at least 2017.

“That situation’s on me,” Oats said. “We addressed it as a team. As soon as I brought it up to them, they immediately understood how it could be interpreted and we all felt awful about it. They explained to me that it’s like when TSA checks you before you get on a plane and how Brandon’s cleared for takeoff. We, as the adults in the room, should’ve been more sensitive to how it could’ve been interpreted. I dropped the ball. That’s it. I dropped the ball on it. We’ve addressed it. I can assure you it won’t happen again.”

Nate Oats: Pregame patdown routine ‘will not happen again the remainder of this year’

Immediately after Saturday’s game, Oats addressed the patdown routine during his postgame press conference. Despite not personally being involved with pregame introductions, he said the move has been put to an end. Obviously not being the best look for everyone involved, Oats admitted it’s not an “appropriate” move from Miller and walk-on Adam Cottrell.

“I think that’s something that’s been going on all year,” Oats said. “I’m not involved, I’m not paying attention … regardless, it’s not appropriate, it’s been addressed and I can assure you it will not happen again the remainder of this year.”

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.