The Alabama Crimson Tide made a surprisingly quick hire to replace former basketball coach Avery Johnson on Wednesday, landing Nate Oats from Buffalo.

Oats wasted no time getting to Tuscaloosa, either, landing at the airport on Wednesday evening just as the sun was going down.

Upon landing, he was met by Alabama reporters, and issued his first comments since landing the job earlier today:

Oats will have to learn to live in the shadow of Nick Saban and the Alabama football program, but Buffalo had a pretty strong football team, too.

What will happen in Year 1 for Oats? Only time will tell, but he has his work cut out for him right off the bat.