Nate Oats explains what it would take to consider leaving Alabama for the NBA
By David Wasson
Published:
The lure of the National Basketball Association is a strong one for any successful college coach, and Alabama’s Nate Oats is not immune to it.
Still, the Crimson Tide coach – who has led Alabama to a Final Four, an Elite Eight and two Sweet 16s in his 6-plus seasons in Tuscaloosa – indicated
“We would have to win an awful lot of games here for me to make that jump,” Oats said Friday during an appearance on College Sports on SiriusXM. “Probably the one who’s done it best most recently is Brad Stevens, and man, he went to a national championship at Butler.
“I’ve got to focus on winning a lot of games here. I love it here. I’ve got two young daughters … I’m not sure how conducive the NBA is to raising a family. But I love learning from the NBA, I love watching it. I don’t know what the future holds. … We’re going to keep trying to win one here and see what happens.”
Oats has gone 165-70 in his tenure at Alabama, a stellar .702 winning percentage that contributes to his lifetime .698 victory rate (261-113 including four seasons at Buffalo). The Crimson Tide are 20-7 overall and 10-4 in the SEC in 2025-26 heading into tonight’s home matchup against Mississippi State (9 pm ET, ESPNU).
Alabama currently has a 50% chance to reach the Sweet 16 according to Kalshi. Here’s a look at the latest odds:
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
