Nate Oats, Alabama Agree To Contract Extension Through 2027 Season
Nate Oats is here to stay in Tuscaloosa.
On Thursday afternoon, University of Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne announced that Crimson Tide basketball coach and the school had agreed on a contract extension and raise.
Oats' contract will now run through March 14, 2027 and his salary and talent fee will increase to $3.225 million annually. His previous contract was set to expire after the 2024 campaign and he made $2.462 million a year.
His buyout will also increase to over $10 million over the next two years.
"We are excited to agree to a contract extension with The University of Alabama,” Oats said in a press release. “Crystal and our daughters love it here, and we are committed to The University of Alabama. We feel like we have a lot of positive momentum going with our team and have the program headed in the right direction.
"Our administration is making a major statement with this extension as we all work on building a successful program for the long term. I know the winning history we’ve had with Alabama basketball, and I feel like we can add to that and accomplish great things here. We appreciate the opportunity Greg Byrne and our athletics administration, President Stuart Bell, Chancellor St. John and The Board of Trustees have provided us. This is really a reflection of the outstanding job that our players, coaches and basketball staff have done the last two years. Now we need all of our focus to be on finishing this season the right way and giving our team the best chance to succeed down the stretch.”
In his second season, Oats has the Crimson Tide at 17-5 overall and 12-1 in Southeastern Conference play. Alabama is ranked No. 8 in the AP Top 25 and currently projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, which would match the program's highest seed ever.
He owns a 33-20 (.623) record overall across his first two years at the Capstone.
"We are thrilled to be able to announce a contract extension with our head men's basketball coach ," Byrne said. "We had great expectations when we hired Coach Oats. He has exceeded those expectations, and we want to ensure he is compensated among the top half of the SEC. We have put buyout measures in place that show the long-term commitment between both parties.
"Coach Oats and his staff have built a comprehensive program that has maximized our student-athlete's experience, significantly increased interest in Alabama Basketball with future recruits and put forward a product that has excited our fan base. Nate, Crystal and the Oats family have embraced our community and state and, in turn, our fans have embraced them. A special thanks goes to President Bell, Chancellor St. John and our Board of Trustees for their support in helping to get this extension done."
Before arriving at Alabama in March of 2019, Oats led Buffalo to a 96-43 record, three MAC tournament championships and three NCAA tournament appearances. He was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2019.
"We are very proud of what our men's basketball program has accomplished in just a short period of time under Coach Oats' leadership," said University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell. "His emphasis on effort, continuous growth and selflessness has helped our student-athletes excel on the court, in the classroom and in the community. He has embraced the standard of excellence at The University of Alabama, and we are excited he will continue to lead our program for years to come."
