Nearly from the moment John Calipari’s impending move to Arkansas was announced, Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats was mentioned as a possible candidate for the Kentucky job. On Monday, Oats released a statement to quell any rumors of a move.
“Bama Nation, I am fully committed to this team and to this university,” Oats said. “We have already accomplished some great things here, and there is nothing I want more than for The University of Alabama to win its first national championship in men’s basketball. Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach.”
The Crimson Tide’s head coach had been mentioned as a possible candidate when the Michigan job opened during the SEC Tournament. At that point, he signed an extension with Alabama.
That extension made it difficult for any other school to poach Oats. His buyout for this season and next jumped to $18 million, which athletics director Greg Byrne said he believed was the highest in the country.
Shortly after Oats issued his statement, Byrne released on of his own, asking fans to support UA’s NIL efforts.
“We’re committed to supporting Nate Oats as he continues to lead Alabama men’s basketball in its pursuit of a national championship and encourage our fans to be a part of that by supporting Yea Alabama,” Byrne said, mentioning the Tide’s NIL collective. “I know I’ve said this before but want to reiterate how important this is with the changing landscape in college athletics. Nate and I talk regular about the priorities of the program and NIL is at the forefront, as is a day-to-day development space for our team, which we are taking steps to address as we speak.
“We appreciate your support through Yea ALabama and look forward to celebrating more championships in the years to come.”
Oats led Alabama to unprecedented postseason success this season. The Crimson Tide, a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, went on a run to its first Final Four ever.
The Tide eventually fell to UConn in the national semifinals on Saturday. The Huskies play Purdue in the national title game Monday evening.
Calipari’s move was first reported Sunday afternoon. It has not yet been announced by Kentucky or Arkansas, though ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the deal was near finalization.