Nate Oats reaffirms commitment to Alabama amid Kentucky job speculation
Chaos currently surrounds the Kentucky job, with the John Calipari situation still being unclear. Even so, rumors have floated around as to who could potentially replace Calipari — who is reportedly off to Arkansas. Arguably the hottest name has been Nate Oats but you can now cross his name off the list.
On Monday night, moments before the national championship game, Oats reaffirmed his commitment to Alabama. He recently signed a contract extension and will not be leaving Tuscaloosa in favor of Kentucky.
“Bama Nation,
“I am fully committed to this team and to this University, We have already accomplished some great things here, and there is nothing I want more than for The University of Alabama to win its first national championship in men’s basketball. Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach.
“Roll Tide!”
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne commented on the matter as well, using Oats’ announcement as an opportunity to promote the school’s NIL collective, Yea Alabama. Byrne emphasized how important NIL is to having a successful NIL fund to support the program, adding a link in his tweet.
“We’re committed to supporting Nate Oats as he continues to lead Alabama men’s basketball in its pursuit of a national championship and encourage our fans to be a part of that by supporting Yea Alabama. I know I’ve said this before but want to reiterate how important this is with the changing landscape in college athletics.
“Nate and I talk regularly about the priorities of the program and NIL is at the forefront, as is a day-to-day development space for our team, which we are taking steps to address as we speak. We appreciate your support through Year Alabama and look forward to celebrating more championships in the year to come.”
Alabama is off the best two-year stretch in program history with Oats helping them reach incredible highs. Last season saw the Crimson Tide win the SEC regular season and tournament championship before being named the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
They followed it up in 2024 by making the school’s first-ever Final Four with a run nobody in Tuscaloosa will ever forget. Watching Oats leave in favor of Kentucky would have been gut-wrenching but based on the two statements released on Monday night, he seems to be staying put for the considerable future.