| MBB/WBB Five years ago today, March 27th, Oats arrived in Tuscaloosa to become the 21st head basketball coach at The University of Alabama

[RTB Twitter Bot]

On this date five years ago, Nathaniel Justin Oats arrived in Tuscaloosa to become the 21st head basketball coach at The University of Alabama, and within two seasons his vision had re-ignited the dwindling spirits of a once-proud fan base numbed by mediocrity.

Currently in his fifth season leading
@AlabamaMBB
, Oats has rewritten school records multiple times with unprecedented achievements for a program already with a legacy of SEC success.

1.Most single-season wins in program history: 31-6 (2022-23)
2.First No. 1 seed and overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament (2022-23)
3.Fastest coach to reach 100 wins at Alabama (current record 115-53)
4.Only coach besides C.M. Newton to win multiple SEC regular-season championships (2021, 2023)
5.Only coach besides Wimp Sanderson to win multiple SEC Tournament championships (2021, 2023)
6.Highest-scoring offense on a per game average (2024), previous record 68 years old from 1956
7.Most single-season points in consecutive years (3,027 points in 2023, currently 3,085 points in 2024)
8.Back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances for the first time since 1990-91 (2023, 2024)
9.Three Sweet Sixteen appearances (2021, 2023, 2024) in four years
10.Back-to-back Top 4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament (2023, 2024)
11.Eight players selected in the NBA Draft (four first round, four second round)
12.SEC Coach of the Year (2021)

Oats started his college coaching career at Buffalo, first as an assistant to Bobby Hurley for two years and later succeeding him as head coach in 2015. Oats coached the Bulls for seasons, winning three Mid-American Conference Tournaments, two MAC regular-season titles and being named MAC Coach of the Year twice.

Before joining Hurley at Buffalo, Oats spent 11 years as the head coach at Romulus High School near Detroit, compiling a 222-52 record and winning the Class A state championship in 2013.

 

[alabama mike]

It was a good day in T'town because CNO brought back excitement to the program that Coach Newton and Coach Sanderson built.

 

[Bammerboy321]

I hope he retires here. The longer he stays, eventually he'll break through to the Final Four. He's done a phenomenal job this season.

 

[mando]

It was a good day in T'town because CNO brought back excitement to the program that Coach Newton and Coach Sanderson built.

Indeed it was. I am old enough to know that Bama Basketball had historical success (relative) and that we were in a deep dark place for 20 years. Just fundamentally painful time.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

It'd be nice to keep him for another twenty years or so.