The Alabama Crimson Tide were celebrating a successful 2024 March Madness campaign when they were hit with rumors that their head coach could leave the program to take charge of the Kentucky Wildcats.
While it was only a rumor, the act that their head coach was linked to the job was more than enough to make fans worried about the long-term success of their program if Nate Oats was going to leave the Crimson Tide for a prestigious program.
However, Oats decided to put any kind of rumors surrounding his future to rest as he set the record straight on a possible move to Kentucky.
Nate Oats assures Alabama Crimson Tide fans he’s not leaving for Kentucky
According to Christian Arnold of the New York Post, Oats denied the validity of any rumors that suggest he’s going to move to Lexington in the coming season.
He even went out of his way to confirm to fans that he’s “fully committed to this team and this University.”
Arnold further detailed Oats’ thought process in the matter:
“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,” Oats said in the statement. “Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach.”
Arnold also reported that he did express interest in moving to Lexington. However, Alabama boosters stepped in to make sure he had everything he needed in Tuscaloosa.
Why Nate Oats’ decision to stay is a win for the Crimson Tide
Alabama has never been known to be a blue-chip basketball program, but they were mainstays in March Madness from the eighties until the mid-nineties. They had a brief run of good form under Mark Gottfried at the turn of the century, but they’ve rarely found success ever since.
Oats is a necessary person for the Crimson Tide to keep because he was able to bring them to the NCAA tournament in only his second season in charge. Moreover, this season saw Bama make the Final Four for the first time in their 111-year history.
Keeping Oats was essential in keeping the good times rolling for Alabama, and this win might help them inch closer to a national title soon.
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