Alabama Hires Nate Oats As Basketball Head Coach

There was a time when the SEC was almost exclusively a ‘football conference’. With a few exceptions such as the University of Kentucky the focus of boosters, administrators, fans and media was on the gridiron. For a basketball coach, this was a mixed blessing. On one hand, they were clearly ‘second class status’ in the school’s athletic pantheon. On the upside, however, was significantly reduced pressure. As long as a head coach put a capable team on the floor he could hang on to his job indefinitely. The more successful the football team at a school the lighter the demands placed on the basketball coach.

That is no longer the case as the SEC has become extremely competitive in basketball as well as football. The latest evidence is the quick turnover at the University of Alabama. Just days after the firing of Avery Johnson, Alabama has announced the hiring of University of Buffalo head coach Nate Oats as his successor. Technically, Johnson wasn’t fired–the official party line is that the coach and the school ‘mutually decided to part ways–but a statement from Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne made clear that a return as head coach was not an option for Johnson:

“After meeting with Coach Johnson, we made the decision to mutually part ways. This was not an easy decision, and we thank him for his contributions over the past four seasons. We wish Coach Johnson and his family the very best.”

Johnson arrived in Tuscaloosa amid much fanfare following a successful career as a NBA player and head coach. He was part of the San Antonio Spurs 1999 championship team as a player and was named the NBA’s ‘Coach of the Year’ in 2006. Alabama was his first college coaching position and his results were mediocre at best finishing with a record of 75-62 and only one NCAA tournament appearance in four years.

His replacement, Nate Oats, has been considered a rising star in the college coaching ranks for a couple of years now. In four seasons at Buffalo his teams earned a record of 96-43 and reached the NCAA tournament three times with two first round wins. At age 44, Alabama is hoping that he’ll become a fixture at the school. Oats recently signed an extension with Buffalo but he’ll no doubt be making considerably more in his new position.

Alabama AD Byrne had this to say about Oats in a statement announcing his hiring:

“I have been watching Coach Oats for the last few years as he has led the University at Buffalo to unprecedented heights. His commitment to developing the student-athlete both on and off the court was what really stuck out. As we spoke to some of the best college and pro basketball minds in the country, his name came up time and time again. Coach Oats will hit the ground running starting tonight, and we look forward to him having a long and successful career with the Alabama Crimson Tide.”

Oats is coming off a record setting year at Buffalo in which the team finished with a record of 32-4 making it the most successful season in school history. Buffalo beat Arizona State in blowout fashion to open this year’s NCAA tournament run but were eliminated by Texas Tech in the second round.