NCAA Basketball: 10 candidates to replace Chris Beard as Texas HC

Nate Oats

Another one of those coaches on the rise is Oats and he’s certainly another that’s perhaps just a few years away from being considered one of the sport’s elite coaches. Much like Musselman, he’s had great success in the past decade at multiple schools, and you have to wonder if he’d leave his comfortable situation right now, even if for the challenge and intrigue of Texas.

Oats is a longtime former high school coach who joined Bobby Hurley’s Buffalo staff and succeeded him as head coach in 2015. He’d proceed to lead the Bulls to three NCAA Tournaments and two opening-round victories before departing for Alabama four years later. The Crimson Tide have been a much-improved program since his arrival, winning the SEC title in his second year while also advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. This year’s squad is a top-10 team in incredible shape led by freshman phenom Brandon Miller.

With the resources at Texas, Oats can land those kinds of elite freshman prospects and clearly get the most out of them on the court. There are a number of coaches, even some mentioned on this list, who are top-level recruiters, but Oats has shown he can get a lot out of his players and programs. He’s not going to be Texas’s first call, but if he picks up the phone he’d be a tremendous addition for the Longhorns and a certain loss for the Crimson Tide.