Michigan Basketball: 11 candidates to replace Juwan Howard as Head Coach

Nate Oats

You have to swing big right now if you’re Michigan and reach out to the coaches you know won’t be interested. We’re not going to write a whole section on Jay Wright or Billy Donovan or a few other major names that could draw intrigue, but there’s certainly at least one prominent SEC coach who makes a lot of sense for Ann Arbor.

Oats grew up in Wisconsin and coached there for several years before becoming a high school head coach in the Detroit area. He was lured into the college game on staff at Buffalo and would succeed Bobby Hurley as head coach in 2015. Oats led those Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournament wins before jumping to Alabama in 2019. The Crimson Tide have two Sweet Sixteen’s and two SEC titles under their belt, with Oats heading to the Big Dance once more this season.

It’s hard to ignore a candidate who spent eleven years working and coaching in nearby Detroit. What Oats did at Buffalo was impressive but his work at Alabama was just extraordinary, especially based on where that program was before his arrival. Oats could do wonders with the resources at Michigan, especially with his apparent talent as a recruiter and offensive coach. It’s a move that makes a lot of sense on both sides, though Alabama certainly would do their best to keep him in Tuscaloosa.