Nate Oats on Thursday offered his reaction to a question about the comments Nick Saban made earlier in the week about an Alabama player being suspended following his arrest for drug possession.
Saban announced a suspension for freshman DB Tony Mitchell, and added, “Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions. There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Fans and media took that as a direct shot at Oats after the Alabama men’s basketball coach made comments about Brandon Miller, a projected NBA lottery pick Brandon Miller, who was reportedly on the scene of a fatal shooting in January near Alabama’s campus involving then-teammate Darius Miles. Miles was charged with capital murder and kicked off the team.
Oats explained that Miller was simply in the “wrong spot at the wrong time.”
“Can’t control everything anybody does outside of practice,” Oats said in February. “Nobody knew that was going to happen. College kids are out, Brandon hasn’t been in any type of trouble nor is he in any type of trouble in this case.”
About Saban’s comments, Oats said, “He and I talked that night. I didn’t take it that way at all. Got a ton of respect for Coach.”
Oats recalled at his opening press conference when he was hired at Alabama that Saban may be the best team sports coach in history.
“He’s been tremendously supportive of our program, since he got here,” Oats said. “He says it all the time, he wants the entire athletic department to do well. He’s been to multiple games this year, he came yesterday to speak to the team. He was good. Players loved it. He and I have a great relationship and I’m really thankful for the support he’s given us and continues to give us as a basketball program at Alabama.”
Nate Oats’ response when asked about Nick Saban’s “there’s no such thing as wrong place, wrong time” comment.
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A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
