Staff Directory
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 205-348-4551
- Hometown: Watertown, Wis.
- Education: Maranatha Baptist, 1997 (bachelor's); Wisconsin, 1999 (master's)
- Children: Lexie, Jocie, Brielle
- Birthday: October 13
- 2019-Present: Alabama, Head Coach
- 2015-19: Buffalo, Head Coach
- 2013-15: Buffalo, Assistant Coach
- 2002-13: Romulus High School, Head Coach
- 2000-02: Wisconsin-Whitewater, Assistant Coach
- 1997-2000: Maranatha Baptist, Assistant Coach
- 1993-97: Maranatha Baptist
When Nate Oats was formally introduced as head men's basketball coach at The University of Alabama on March 28, 2019, he promised fans would see an entertaining, up-tempo and fast-paced style of play. And that's exactly what he has delivered during his six years in Tuscaloosa highlighted by Alabama's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Final Four in 2024.
Oats continues to lead the Crimson Tide men's basketball resurgence to national prominence, having guided his team to 145 wins, highlighted by a pair of SEC Regular Season championships, two SEC Tournament championships, three trips to the Sweet 16, back-to-back trips to the Elite 8 and the program's first ever appearance in the Final Four. Oats the only coach in program history to win multiple SEC regular season and tournament championships. He has compiled a record of 145-63 (.697) in his six years at The Capstone. In fact, in his 10 years as a head coach, Oats owns an impressive record of 241-106 (.695) and has led his teams to NCAA Tournament appearances eight separate times with one of those years being the global pandemic.
After agreeing to contract extensions in 2021 and 2023, Oats received a third contract extension during the 2024 season that is set to keep him in charge of the Crimson Tide basketball program through the 2030 season.
"I am excited and honored for the chance to extend my relationship with the University of Alabama," Oats said. "I have said from day one, my family and I love this community, the city of Tuscaloosa and the University so I am thankful and appreciative for all the support we have received from President Stuart Bell, Chancellor St. John, The Board of Trustees and Greg Byrne. We have enjoyed tremendous success during our five years at Alabama and we look forward to building on that for many years to come."
"Coach Oats has done a phenomenal job leading Alabama men's basketball, and we look forward to him doing so for many years to come," said Byrne. "He is not only a great coach but is also an outstanding leader and developer of young men, and we appreciate his commitment to our program. Thank you to President Bell, Chancellor St. John and our Board of Trustees for their approval in this process."
Whether it's on the court, in the classroom or out recruiting future Crimson Tide stars, Oats has returned a winning attitude around the Alabama program. Much of that he credits to instilling three core values that make up the pillars on which the team's culture is built - Max Effort, Continuous Growth and Selfless Love.
Alabama - Head Coach (2019-Present)
- Compiled 145 wins in his first six seasons highlighted by a pair of SEC Regular Season championships, two SEC Tournament championships, three trips to the Sweet 16, back-to-back trips to the Elite 8 and the program's first-ever appearance in the Final Four (2024)
- Became the fastest coach in program history reach 100 wins at UA
- Over the last three seasons, Alabama has finished in the top 10 in the final USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll, joining Houston as the only two programs to finish in the top 10 in each poll in the last three seasons
- Over the last five seasons Oats has led UA to 129 victories, which ranks seventh-most throughout Division I
- Coached six players that have been selected in the NBA Draft, including tying the program-record for highest draft pick in program history in Brandon Miller (Selected No. 2 by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2023 NBA Draft)
- Guided Alabama to the 2024 Final Four, the first time UA has appeared in the Final Four after defeating Charleston, Grand Canyon, North Carolina and Clemson
- Led UA to back-to-back Elite 8 appearances (2024 and 2025) for the first time in program history
- Led the Crimson Tide to the overall No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history
- Won a program-record 31 games in 2023 including sweeping the SEC regular season and tournament championships
- In his six seasons at Alabama, Oats has won 75 Southeastern Conference games, which ranks first in the SEC
- Oats and the Crimson Tide have risen to the challenge as Alabama, winning a program-record 31 games over AP Top 25 wins including defeating the No. 1 team in the country three times during his time at UA
- 2021 SEC Coach of the Year after leading the Tide to the 2021 SEC regular season and tournament championships in his second season at Alabama
- Since arriving on campus, Oats has signed six consecutive top-15 signing classes, including the No. 2 recruiting class in the country in 2024, the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history
- Coached Brandon Miller who became the first SEC player to win SEC Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year and Tournament MVP in the same season
- Since taking over the reigns in 2019, 39 men's basketball players have been named to either the SEC Academic Honor Roll or SEC First Year Honor Roll while 18 have graduated and earned a diploma
- Under Oats' leadership, the team set a record for cumulative grade point average of 3.25 in 2022 while maintaining a team GPA over above 3.0 during his time at the helm
Buffalo - Head Coach (2015-19)
- Oats led the Bulls to a 96-43 (.691) record, three MAC tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the round of 32 in 2018 and 2019
- Named the MAC's Coach of the Year and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 14 Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2018 and 2019)
- Oats guided Buffalo to a 32-4 overall record and a 16-2 mark in conference play in 2018-19, leading the program to its second consecutive MAC regular season and tournament championships
- The Bulls were ranked for 20 weeks in the Associated Press Top-25 during the 2019 season
- During the 2017-18 season, Oats led the Bulls to a record of 27-9 overall and 15-3 in the MAC. In doing so, he secured Buffalo's first victory in the NCAA Tournament, defeating No. 4 seed and PAC-12 Champion Arizona, 89-68, in Boise, Idaho.
Buffalo - Assistant Coach (2013-15)
- Spent two seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator for the Bulls
- Won the 2015 MAC Tournament, appearing in the NCAA Tournament against West Virginia
Romulus High School - Head Coach (2002-13)
- Spent 11 seasons as head coach at Romulus High School in Michigan
- Won the school's first state title in 27 years in 2012-13 and finishing the season at 27-1
- Named the 2013 Detroit News State Coach of the Year, the Detroit Free Press State Coach of the Year, and the BCAM State Coach of the Year
- Honors also include 2009 Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Class A Coach of the Year, 2008 Detroit Free Press Metro Detroit Coach of the Year, and 2005 Detroit News Metro Detroit Coach of the Year and Detroit Free Press Metro West Coach of the Year
- In his time as a head coach, he led the team to a 222-52 overall record and seven straight conference championships while going undefeated in conference play over four consecutive seasons
- Romulus was ranked in the top-25 nationally on three occasions (2010, 2011, 2013) and made the Michigan Class A Final Four five times
- Oats oversaw a program that had a 100 percent graduation rate with 40 of his 42 seniors at Romulus continuing to college
Personal Info
- Native of Watertown, Wisconsin
- Earned a master's degrees of science in kinesiology and exercise science from Wisconsin in 1999
- Graduated with his bachelor's degree in math education in 1997 from Maranatha Baptist
- Nate is the proud parent of three girls - Lexie, Jocie and Brielle
