Mar 26, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats speaks ahead of the Midwest regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images.

Nate Oats Reveals He's Engaged To Alabama Assistant

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Apr 4, 2026 1:17 PM ET

Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats won't be on the sidelines for the Final Four this weekend, but he still found a way to grab people's attention.

Oats, 51, has been Alabama's head coach since the 2019-20 season. The Crimson Tide have reached the Sweet 16 or better in four consecutive seasons. Although he failed to reach the Elite Eight this March, he still landed on another top team's radar.

Roughly a week ago, Oats was mentioned as a potential candidate for the job opening at North Carolina. He put Alabama fans at ease by saying he's committed to the program that athlete director Greg Byrne is building.

"They're doing everything they can to make sure that we've got a competitive program," Oats said, via ESPN. "And as long as we're able to compete to win championships here, SEC -- national championships, we haven't done that here yet -- I'd love to be the coach to bring us our first national championship. We got to a Final Four. To me, there's absolutely no reason to leave here."

So why is Oats trending on social media this Saturday? Well, it turns out he's an engaged man - again.

During an appearance on SiriusXM College Sports Radio, the Alabama coach revealed that he's now engaged to Alex Accetta. She's been part of the Crimson Tide's staff for the past four years.

"Me and Alex -- my fiancee now, she was my girlfriend at the time -- we were at a Knicks playoff game, and I'm sitting there at [Madison Square] Garden," said Oats, via Mike Rodak of Bama247. "I'm like, 'Hold on.' I'm a high school coach and I got an opportunity to coach in here, and I'm gonna say no?"

Who is Alex Accetta?

Accetta was a student assistant for the Alabama men's basketball team before being promoted to operations coordinator.

"In her current role, Accetta assists with a multitude of projects throughout the year, including helping coordinate on-campus recruiting visits, assisting the director of operations with team travel and logistics, home and away game ticket requests for coaches, staff, visiting recruits and their families and serving as the point-of-contact in regards to home game needs for staff and special guests," her bio for Alabama states. "In addition, she plays an important role for the program’s events such as Pro Day, Parents Weekend, Coach Avery Basketball Camps and working with guest speakers along with other team functions throughout the year, among other duties."

Oats was married prior to his romance with Accetta. His ex-wife, Crystal, was dianosed with cancer when he was the head basketball coach at the University of Buffalo.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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