Nate Oats

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,792
65,695
113
This guy would kill it at UK, here's an article about him and UK last year.

Just before UConn and Purdue tipped off in the national championship on April 8, Oats and Alabama's Athletic Director, Greg Byrne, released a joint statement announcing Oats would remain in Tuscaloosa and not pursue the Kentucky job.

Oats did mention to Davis, however, that there was some consideration to making the move within the SEC.

"To be even in the conversation -- I mean, the job was never offered to me. It's not -- 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. I actually thought about 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. It's almost expected at a place like Kentucky. If you don't make the Final Four, they're gonna -- 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 you 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.

This guy would dominate here. Why he was never offered I have no idea. He has no title and is hungry for one. Already made the final four. 5 SEC titles, 2 elite 8s. How was this not the hire last spring?




Nate Oats "Thought About" Kentucky Job | https://tide1009.com/nate-oats-thought-about-kentucky-job/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
 
Aug 14, 2025
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This guy would kill it at UK, here's an article about him and UK last year.

Just before UConn and Purdue tipped off in the national championship on April 8, Oats and Alabama's Athletic Director, Greg Byrne, released a joint statement announcing Oats would remain in Tuscaloosa and not pursue the Kentucky job.

Oats did mention to Davis, however, that there was some consideration to making the move within the SEC.

"To be even in the conversation -- I mean, the job was never offered to me. It's not -- 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. I actually thought about 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. It's almost expected at a place like Kentucky. If you don't make the Final Four, they're gonna -- 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 you 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.

This guy would dominate here. Why he was never offered I have no idea. He has no title and is hungry for one. Already made the final four. 5 SEC titles, 2 elite 8s. How was this not the hire last spring?




Nate Oats "Thought About" Kentucky Job | https://tide1009.com/nate-oats-thought-about-kentucky-job/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
His Bama buyout was like 16 million or something, IIRC. That's likely why we never contacted.
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,792
65,695
113
Also we’re five games into Popes second year. I mean FFS did you not watch last year? Popes young as hell in terms of experience give him a damn chance to figure it out
I am giving him a chance. I'm just talking replacement's incase he doesn't work out. Because, we did not hire a proven guy. We don't know if he will or not. We have a dude learning on the job at a the winningest program in CBB. He should not have even been put in this situation. But our idiotic AD put him into this. Guy needed 5 more years at BYU. Or at another P4 school. Which sucks. Because you can see and feel how much Pope loves it here. Should have never been thrusted into this.
 
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We paid BYU 6 million for Pope. Plus another 5 million for his 1 year salary. The Craft's offered Hurley 10 years 100M.
Right, but we would have had to pay Oats a higher base salary as he was far more accomplished. Plus more to his assistants as they are clearly better, plus the 16 million to Bama. That's a lot of damn money.

Not to mention, Barnhart would have less control over Oats than he does Pope.
 
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RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,792
65,695
113
Right, but we would have had to pay Oats a higher base salary as he was far more accomplished. Plus more to his assistants as they are clearly better, plus the 16 million to Bama. That's a lot of damn money.

Not to mention, Barnhart would have less control over Oats than he does Pope.
I think the 100m the Craft's offered would cover it.


The last part is the real issue.
 
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10 years 100 million was what they offered Hurley. Basically Cal's salary.
The crafts offered him that? Do you have something that verify's that?

Also, Oats current Bama deal will get him. 7.5 by 2028. So we were going to probably have to increase that to get him. I am guessing around 8 to 8.5, plus his assistants would het more. Then pay Bama another 16 million outright and immediately to get him. That's going to exceed that 100 pretty quickly. Plus you still need an NIL budget.
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,792
65,695
113
The crafts offered him that? Do you have something that verify's that?

Also, Oats current Bama deal will get him. 7.5 by 2028. So we were going to probably have to increase that to get him. I am guessing around 8 to 8.5, plus his assistants would het more. Then pay Bama another 16 million outright and immediately to get him. That's going to exceed that 100 pretty quickly. Plus you still need an NIL budget.
No real "source" as these things are hard to verify, if a deal fall through. But yeah, not 10 years/100m. I was mis-remembering. Been a bit.
 
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No real "source" as these things are hard to verify, if a deal fall through. But yeah, not 10 years/100m. I was mis-remembering. Been a bit.

Right, but that doesn't say the Crafts are ponying up 100 million. That would be outrageous.

And I don't think Hurley had anywhere near the buyout at Uconn, plus Uconn gave him a massive raise once we came calling. 50 million for 6 years. So what we were offering wasn't far off. It also put him around what we already paid Cal.
 
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Phil_The_Music2

Heisman
Nov 29, 2010
3,051
12,433
113
I am giving him a chance. I'm just talking replacement's incase he doesn't work out. Because, we did not hire a proven guy. We don't know if he will or not. We have a dude learning on the job at a the winningest program in CBB. He should not have been even put in this situation. But our idiotic AD put him into this. Guy needed 5 more years at BYU. Or at another P4 school. Which sucks. Because you can see and feel how much Pope loves it here. Should have never been thrusted into this.
Just curious, who would you have hired instead?
 

jedwar

Heisman
Dec 30, 2002
18,696
29,964
113
-Nate Oats
-Chris Beard
-Bruce Pearl
-Scott Drew
-Tommy Lloyd

Please tell me how none of these guys were coming, just like how Cal, was never leaving UM to come to this dumpster fire. WIth all the fedex money and he just came off a national runner up!
My order was:
Pearl
Oats
Hurley

Didn't really have any others on my want list.
 

Phil_The_Music2

Heisman
Nov 29, 2010
3,051
12,433
113
-Nate Oats
-Chris Beard
-Bruce Pearl
-Scott Drew
-Tommy Lloyd

Please tell me how none of these guys were coming, just like how Cal, was never leaving UM to come to this dumpster fire. WIth all the fedex money and he just came off a national runner up!
Oats turned us down, Bruce Pearl literally just retired from the sport, Drew turned us down.

That leaves me Tommy Lloyd and Beard. I like both of those choices but Beard has recently been fired, you know Mitch isn't going for that. And Lloyd is at Arizona, which probably has as much resources as we do with half of the pressure. No real reason for him to make the move.

I don't think choosing someone over Pope would have been as easy as people like to think.
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,792
65,695
113
Oats turned us down, Bruce Pearl literally just retired from the sport, Drew turned us down.

That leaves me Tommy Lloyd and Beard. I like both of those choices but Beard has recently been fired, you know Mitch isn't going for that. And Lloyd is at Arizona, which probably has as much resources as we do with half of the pressure. No real reason for him to make the move.

I don't think choosing someone over Pope would have been as easy as people like to think.
Oats says he was never offered the job but ok.
"To be even in the conversation -- I mean, the job was never offered to me. It's not -- 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. I actually thought about it."

The AD put out a statement for recruiting. Barnhart never looked the dude's way.
 

Phil_The_Music2

Heisman
Nov 29, 2010
3,051
12,433
113
Oats says he was never offered the job but ok.
"To be even in the conversation -- I mean, the job was never offered to me. It's not -- 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. I actually thought about it."

The AD put out a statement for recruiting. Barnhart never looked the dude's way.
There was also lots of info out at the time about him not wanting to leave Alabama because of the custody dispute. And then there's the insane buyout he has.
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,792
65,695
113
There was also lots of info out at the time about him not wanting to leave Alabama because of the custody dispute. And then there's the insane buyout he has.
Oats isn't divorced or sharing custody.
 
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Phil_The_Music2

Heisman
Nov 29, 2010
3,051
12,433
113
Ever heard of coaching trees? It's a good idea to hire guys who've learned from great coaches. Pope coached under Mark Fox. Never won a NCAAT game.
Ok, that's fine if you want to make the coaching tree argument. But I was responding to the statement "we should have never hired a coach who hadn't won a tourney game." That's a silly statement because there have been several coaches who had little to no tourney success before being hired by a higher tier program and then having said success.
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,792
65,695
113
Ok, that's fine if you want to make the coaching tree argument. But I was responding to the statement "we should have never hired a coach who hadn't won a tourney game." That's a silly statement because there have been several coaches who had little to no tourney success before being hired by a higher tier program and then having said success.
I'm fine with hiring a guy who's never won a NCAAT game, if he learned under a legendary/great coach. Success rate tends to be higher with those guys. Should have added that. We hired a Dave Rose protoge.
 
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