Paul Finebaum labels Nate Oats as a top five coach in college basketball

After defeating Clemson 89-82 on Friday, Alabama advanced to its first Final Four in program history. Paul Finebaum didn’t need anymore evidence of Nate Oats’ greatness. During an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” Finebaum raved about the Alabama head coach’s talent.

“He’s now considered one of the top five coaches in the country and I don’t really think there ought to be a debate or doubt about that,” Finebaum said of Oats. “Within the SEC, I would take him over any other coach. That’s not a shot at any of the really good coaches and I’m speaking of so many, including Bruce Pearl, but this feels different.”

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In five seasons at Alabama, Oats boasts a 117-53 (.688) overall record and a 62-28 (.689) mark in conference play. In both the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, Oats led Alabama to secure the regular season and conference tournament titles.

Following his first season with the program, Oats has boosted the Crimson Tide to an NCAA Tournament appearance every year. Alabama has advanced to at least the second weekend in three of those four appearances.

A long road to the top for Alabama

Finebaum believes this run is particularly impressive due to its comeback nature.

“Early on, it looked like [Alabama] might have a shot,” Finebaum said. “But, when I think back to that stretch in November and December when it played all these top teams, I don’t think it beat any of them.

“But, it also got the experience that really pays off in those crucial situations, and how many times have we seen a late March game where the most surefire shooter in the world suddenly can’t hit, and in Alabama’s case they did. It’s nothing’s easy, but it seems in some ways, seamless.”

Alabama went through multiple valleys this season before landing on a mountain top in March. In December, the Crimson Tide lost three straight games. With less than a month left in the regular season, Alabama lost three contests in a four-game stretch, including a 22-point blowout against Kentucky.

It wasn’t always clear Alabama had the ability to make a run in March, but Oats pulled his Crimson Tide to victory.

“Coaching matters,” Finebaum said. “That’s why there’s so much made out of it in the NCAA. The two days, the one day off, that really separates the good coaches from the great because they can game plan immediately and figure out something that nobody else has thought of.”

Now, Nate Oats will look to show off his coaching ability again as Alabama will square off against UConn at approximately 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday. The winner will advance to the national championship.