Report: Alabama AD Greg Bryne gives buyout numbers for Nate Oats' new contract

Alabama head coach Nate Oats struck while the iron is hot. He just landed a new contract extension this week, according to AL.com. Now, reports have emerged regarding the buyout numbers of Oats’ new deal.

Here were the initial contract details:

“Alabama men’s basketball coach Nate Oats received a contract extension through the 2028-29 season that will be presented to the university’s board of trustees Friday for approval,” AL.com wrote. “The contract was presented to the trustees’ compensation committee earlier Friday by athletics director Greg Byrne, and was approved by the committee. Oats will be paid $4.5 million in the first year of his updated contract, with $200,000 annual increases that raise his average pay to $5 million.”

The writer of that story, Mike Rodak, reported on Twitter on Friday morning what the buyout numbers would be, according to Alabama AD Greg Byrne: “First year Oats buyout is $12M. Year 2: $10M. Year 3: $7M.”

Rodak then provided this quote from Byrne: “Those first two years especially would be one of the highest buyouts in men’s college basketball in the country.”

Initial report on Oates extension

Oats’ extension will run through the 2028-2029 season, making his salary an “excess” of $4 million a year. He was previously middle of the road among SEC coaches when it came to salary. But with a new deal being approved, Oats finds himself near the top of the highest paid within the conference.

Alabama has played 119 games under Oats, currently having an 80-39 overall record. The team is fresh off the program’s largest margin of victory against an SEC opponent, taking down Vanderbilt 101-44 at Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday.

The contract extension will now keep anybody from coming in and attempting to sign Oats away from Alabama this offseason. Texas is already a big program expecting to conduct a coaching search this offseason, with a ton of top-level coaches being connected.

With a fresh deal for Oats, you would think his name would be crossed off the list. The famous blue-collar mentality Oats deploys will be staying in Tuscaloosa for the considerable future.