Nate Oats describes his adjustment when he left Buffalo for Alabama

Kalen DeBoer isn’t the only head coach Greg Byrne hired without any prior experience in the South. Nate Oats spent his entire life in the Midwest or the North, coming to Alabama Since Buffalo. Two completely different fields from each other, Oats does not complain about the change.

“I had never lived in the South before,” Oats said. “I was born and raised in Wisconsin, moved to Detroit for 11 years, then Buffalo for six years. I’ve lived in the North my whole life and came here. I love it.”

Oats has a well-documented background in basketball. He was once a high school math teacher while coaching at Romulus before Bobby Hurley hired him as an assistant in Buffalo. Hurley eventually left for the State of Arizona job and Oats was promoted to college head coach for the first time in his career.

Success in the NCAA tournament put Oats on Byrne’s map and after leaving Avery Johnson, a Buffalo coach was headed to Tuscaloosa.

Many will argue that Alabama doesn’t really care about basketball in a part of the world where football is so important. But Oats points out there is no professional sports team in the state. The Atlanta Hawks or Memphis Grizzles are in the area, but that’s not something the majority of people in Alabama could support.

The support is there for the program, especially since the Crimson Tide have started winning. Oats loves interacting with fans in the South, as the passion for college basketball only continues to grow.

“The people here are super friendly,” Oats said. “They are really passionate about college athletics. There are no professional sports teams in Alabama. And there is a strong group of people who support Alabama basketball.

Oats has the potential to field his best team ever, with one of the best rosters heading into the 2024-25 season. Significant feedback such as Marc Sears And Grant Nelson group title while Alabama brought several expected stars across the NCAA Transfer Portal. Mix in a big recruiting class and the Crimson Tide will be as deep as anyone.

Fan support should be there, too. Moving south to take over at Alabama, even with some historical success, was certainly a risk for Oats, who is unfamiliar with the region. But it has paid off for him so far.