SEC Basketball: Ranking all 14 head coaches for 2019-20 season

By Joey Loose | Aug 30, 2019

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 13: Head coach John Calipari (R) of the Kentucky Wildcats is congratulated by head coach Bruce Pearl of the Tennessee Volunteers after Kentucky won 74-45 during the semirfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at the Bridgestone Arena on March 13, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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TULSA, OKLAHOMA – MARCH 22: Head coach Nate Oats of the Buffalo Bulls reacts from the sidelines during the second half of the first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Arizona State Sun Devils at BOK Center on March 22, 2019 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

11. Nate Oats (Alabama)

The glory days for Alabama basketball took place in the 80’s and 90’s, though Oats is hoping he can recharge this program. Former NBA coach Avery Johnson couldn’t get the job done at a school whose attention is clearly on football. This program was in the Elite Eight just once in their history but Oats brings new excitement to Tuscaloosa.

Oats was born and raised in Wisconsin, playing and coaching at D-3 Marantha Baptist to begin his career. He spent eleven seasons as a high school coach in Michigan before Bobby Hurley brought him aboard his Buffalo staff in 2013. When Hurley departed for Arizona State, Oats took over the program and continued its elevation. In four seasons, he took the Bulls to three NCAA Tournaments, including a pair of Tourney wins. His blowout upset of Arizona in 2018 might be the highlight, though knocking Arizona State out of last year’s tournament might have been sweeter for Oats.

When the Alabama job opened, Oats was quickly grabbed by the Crimson Tide. In his first few months in Alabama, he’s already done a solid job of retaining the team that Johnson built while bringing in a few other pieces. This could be a team ready to compete from the beginning, though it might take Oats a few seasons to adjust to coaching at the power conference level.

He’s relatively inexperienced compared to the other coaches, but Oats has made the most of his opportunities. He took Buffalo to new heights and is poised for success with the Crimson Tide. It’ll be interesting to see how Oats adjusts to game-planning for teams like Kentucky and Tennessee instead of Akron and Toledo. This is a move that’s set up for success but we’ll see if Oats sinks or soars in the SEC.

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