And just like that, the John Calipari era in Lexington is over. The former Kentucky Wildcats head coach is now headed to another SEC program, as he is reportedly joining the Arkansas Razorbacks, who quickly made a move shortly after Eric Musselman left for a head-coaching gig with the USC Trojans.
With Calipari no longer with the Wildcats, the biggest question in Kentucky is who will be the next man heading the program?
One name that’s being floated around is Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats.
Nate Oats as Next Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach?
The staff over The Athletic floated a few names as potential Calipari successors and one of the more interesting names on the list is Oats.
This might make the most sense, but an $18 million buyout would require some seismic belief. Oats might be worth it to Kentucky. In five years at Alabama, the 49-year-old is 62-28 in the SEC with two league titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances. He’s reached two Sweet 16 trips and delivered an ultimate statement this year: a Final Four trip. Not only does Oats win, but his style of play would have Cats fans drooling. Fast pace, high pressure, 3-point centric. Oats had already proven he can recruit at a level required in Lexington and produces pros. In theory, what he’s already done at Alabama is what’s expected at Kentucky.
Oats is enjoying an all-time high in popularity at the moment after leading the Crimson Tide to a Final Four appearance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Although they got eliminated by the No. 1 and defending champions UConn Huskies in the national semifinals round, Oats and the Crimson Tide turned lots of heads when they defeated No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 round and the No. 6 Clemson Tigers in the Elite Eight portion of the Big Dance.
Under Oats, the Crimson Tide went to the Big Dance in four of his first five seasons in Tuscaloosa. The Kentucky Wildcats have also made it to the NCAA Tournament three consecutive years, but have mostly been a huge disappointment in March Madness over that time, with two first-round exits and a second-round expulsion.
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