Nate Oats details decision to remove name from Kentucky coach search

Shortly after Alabama’s 2024-25 basketball season ended in the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance, head coach Nate Oats’ name was mentioned for the opening at Kentucky.

Oats, however, reaffirmed his commitment to Crimson Tide hoops with a statement released on his social media accounts and will lead Alabama for a highly-anticipated sixth season.

Speaking with Seth Davis and Bleacher Report, Oats shed some light on why he chose to stay in Tuscaloosa rather than entertain one of the top coaching jobs in college basketball.

“The job was never offered to me. It didn’t get to that point at all,” Oats said. “But there was a lot of speculation circulating around the country for a day – or part of a day there – that maybe I’d be in the mix. And I actually thought about it.”

In a lengthy answer to Davis’ question about UK, Oats detailed the pros of his Alabama role.

“I’ve got three daughters. They all like it here in Tuscaloosa,” Oats said. “My oldest, Lexi, is going into her junior year here. I haven’t had to move a ton in my profession, in college. A lot of these guys are moving every couple of years. I’m fortunate I didn’t have to do that. 

“I went to Buffalo with Bobby Hurley, and I trusted the Hurley family. They’re basketball royalty. I didn’t want to move my family and then have to keep moving. We were fortunate we won big. In Year 2, we went to the first NCAA tournament in Buffalo history. I got the head job. So I was there six years. I’ve been here five. I didn’t really want to move my family.

“I also felt we just made a Final Four. Greg Byrne is one of the best ADs in the country. I’d love to work with him the rest of my career, to be honest with you. And he took care of me. I’m not the highest-paid coach in the league. I didn’t ask for that. But I’m making a lot more money than I’d ever thought I would make. And they’ve made it clear they want to keep me here.”

Oats agreed to a six-year contract extension in March, prior to Alabama’s NCAA Tournament run, that will rise to $7.55 million in its final year. The Tide men’s basketball program will also be receiving a brand-new training and player development facility in the coming years.

This upcoming season, Alabama could enter its 2024-25 campaign as the nation’s top-ranked team with what it returns from last year’s Final Four team and what it added both via the transfer portal and high school ranks. Oats and his coaching staff have put together an elite roster that he feels has a chance to not only duplicate last year’s success but surpass it.

“I think we’ve got a chance to win a national championship at Alabama, and I think it would mean a lot more winning one here than maybe it would be winning one somewhere where they’ve won with lots of different coaches over a period of time,” Oats said.

“It’s almost expected at a place like Kentucky. If you don’t make the Final Four, you had a disappointing year, to be honest with you. John Calipari is a pretty good coach. He’s won a lot of games. He’s won everywhere he’s been, and they weren’t happy. I mean, he won a national championship. But they expect a Final Four, which I don’t mind. I wouldn’t mind having that pressure, to be honest with you. I just think there’s part of me that would actually enjoy that to a point because I put a lot of pressure on myself, anyways.

“But I really would like to win one here, and I think we’ve got a roster put together that can. In a win-or-go-home, one-game elimination tournament like the NCAA, the best team doesn’t always win. Now, sometimes they do. UConn, they were the best team in college basketball last year and they won it. We’d like to try to be the best team and win it. If things don’t shake out well, I’d still like to give myself a chance. 

“We’ve built this thing up to where we’ve got a chance to win it. I’d like to give myself a chance to win it here. I like working with the people I have here. I was comfortable here. My family is comfortable here. I decided I want to stay here.”

Oats reiterated he chose to remove his name from Kentucky’s search early in the process.

“The job was never offered in the first place,” Oats said. “I don’t want people thinking I turned it down, that wasn’t the case. I took my name out of consideration before it would have ever gotten to that point.

“And for one, we had a lot of donors stepping up at the time, which was big, and I didn’t want them thinking I was playing. Like, no. They were serious about us winning. I wanted to let them know I was serious. We had recruiting going on. The quicker you squash some of that stuff, the better off it is for you in the place you’re at, and I just thought that was the smart move.”

Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!

Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $1! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!