'Big Team USA Guy' Nate Oats Excited About Opportunity To Work With USA Basketball

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats will have a busy offseason. After the Crimson Tide is done he will join Team USA as an assistant coach for the Men's U18 National Team at the FIBA AmeriCup this June.

"I'm beyond blessed. Who would have thought that 12 years ago when I was a high school coach (I would be here)," Oats said. "I'm thankful to everybody who runs USA basketball who chose me."

Oats will be working under former Alabama head coach Anthony Grant on the staff. Grant coached the Crimson Tide from 2009 through 2015 and led the program to one NCAA Tournament appearance during his tenure. Grant has been the head coach at Dayton since 2017, where he led the Flyers to the top-five of the AP Poll in the Covid-shortened 2020 season and to March Madness in 2024.

"I know Anthony a little bit," Oats said. " I wouldn't say we're, like, super tight, but I'm very interested to get to know him. Everybody I've talked to who knows him says he is one of the best human beings... Obviously, he's done an unbelievable job at Dayton. They've had very good pros come out of there."

Oats will be one of the team's two assistants, with long-time Colgate head coach Matt Langel serving as the third member on the staff. It is a bit of a throwback for Oats, who started his Division I career as an assistant under Bobby Hurley at Buffalo from 2013 through 2015.

"Not quite sure where all our roles will be, but I just want to do whatever I can to help as an assistant," Oats said. "It's been a few years since I was an assistant, but I enjoy it. There are different roles in doing it, and it will probably help me be a better head coach, going back and feeling what my assistants maybe feel a little bit. So I'm fired up, I can't wait to work with them."

Oats previously worked with Team USA in 2025, working at the Men's U19 National Team training camp under Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd. He described himself as a "big Team USA guy," adding that he watched the United States' win in the Olympic hockey gold medal match over Canada on Sunday.

Oats is locked in with Team USA for two years. He will likely work with the U18 players again in 2027, as the majority of the team will roll over to the U19 squad that represents America in Pardubice, Czech Republic, at the 2027 U19 World Cup.

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