Experts discuss Nate Oats as potential UNC basketball coaching hire

[ASFN Admin]

The college basketball coaching cycle got a lot more hectic on Tuesday when one of the sport's biggest blue blood programs officially parted ways with its head coach.

Five days after a stunning exit from the NCAA Tournament, the North Carolina Tar Heels are moving on from coach Hubert Davis. UNC blew a 19-point lead in the second half to No. 11 seed VCU in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday. It's the largest blown lead the tournament has seen since 2018.

North Carolina's 82-78 overtime loss marked the program's second straight first-round exit. Davis, a former UNC player and assistant coach, guided the Tar Heels to a surprise appearance in the national championship game during his first season in 2022, but UNC reached the second week of the tournament only one other time.

That was in 2024 when North Carolina went up against Nate Oats' Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16. UNC entered the tournament as a No. 1 seed after winning the ACC championship.

But the Tar Heels fell to Alabama when the Crimson Tide rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit for an 89-87 win behind Grant Nelson's 24-point and 12 rebounds in Los Angeles. Alabama eventually reached the first Final Four for the first time in men's basketball history.

Could the man who guided the Crimson Tide to a win over No. 1 seed North Carolina in March 2024 wind up being the Tar Heels' next coach?

If you're asking some prominent voices in the national media, the answer is unlikely.

'Drama accompanies Oats' program,' USA TODAY Sports says of Alabama coach amid UNC basketball opening​

USA TODAY Sports' Blake Toppmeyer reeled off a list of Oats' accomplishments at Alabama, including the obvious: his four straight Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide are bidding for a third straight trip to the Elite Eight when they face Michigan in the Sweet 16 in Chicago on Friday.

Toppmeyer, however, added:

"Drama accompanies Oats' program. Just this season, you had the Charles Bediako circus, then Aden Holloway’s arrest just before the tournament. That’s nothing compared to the black eye the program endured in 2023, a situation that still lingers today, with one former Alabama player facing a capital murder charge.

"If you can stomach controversy, Oats wins."

Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg included Oats on his list of potential UNC coaching candidates but mentioned the Alabama coach's current $18 million buyout before echoing similar concerns about off-the-court "controversy."

"The buyout is among the highest in college basketball. The school that hires Oats away from Alabama would have to pay $18 million until April 1 or $10 million after that date.

"Then there’s the controversy that has followed Oats in recent years with several high-profile player arrests and poor crisis management. Is that something that North Carolina would be eager to deal with?"

Analyst explains why hiring Nate Oats would make sense for UNC basketball​

CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter cited Oats' buyout but listed why Alabama's coach would make sense for prominent UNC boosters and school administrators.

"Alabama has made the second weekend in four of the last five seasons. Oats has a Final Four on his resume. He is one of the elite offensive masterminds in the sport, and his offenses generate corner 3s at an absurdly high rate. Brandon Miller became a lottery pick at Alabama, and guards would flock to Chapel Hill to play in this backcourt-friendly scheme."

"Oats' buyout is historically large. If he left before the end of March, UNC would have to cover $18 million. So that's $23 million in buyouts for Davis and Oats before you factor in Oats' new glitzy contract, money for top assistants and whatever needs to be allocated for the roster. Oats' buyout would drop to $10 million on April 1, for what it's worth."

Nate Oats 'not expected to be in the running' for UNC job: The Athletic​

Citing sources, The Athletic's Brendan Marks (subscription required) lists two SEC basketball coaches he doesn't see garnering interest from North Carolina: Oats and Florida Gators coach Todd Golden.

Golden guided Florida to the national championship a year ago but has had his own off-the-court controversy. The Gators lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

"Two notable names not expected to be in the running, though, according to people familiar with the program’s thinking, are Florida’s Todd Golden and Alabama’s Nate Oats. Both have large buyouts -- roughly $16 million for Golden and $10 million for Oats after April 1 -- as well as off-court concerns." --Brendan Marks, The Athletic.

What Nate Oats has said about longterm future at Alabama​

In March 2024, Oats signed a multi-year contract extension with Alabama through the 2030 season.

pic.twitter.com/s8WNow2NMO

— Nate Oats (@nate_oats) April 9, 2024

Here's what Oats said publicly at the time:

"I am excited and honored for the chance to extend my relationship with the University of Alabama. I have said from day one, my family and I love this community, the city of Tuscaloosa and the University so I am thankful and appreciative for all the support we have received from President Stuart Bell, Chancellor St. John, The Board of Trustees and Greg Byrne. We have enjoyed tremendous success during our five years at Alabama and we look forward to building on that for many years to come."

Start time, TV channel for Alabama vs. Michigan basketball in Sweet 16​

Start time, TV channel announced for Alabama vs. Michigan in Sweet 16

Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images https://t.co/P7Z0RUIRctpic.twitter.com/2XtNWfpJFa

— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) March 23, 2026

Alabama (25-9) faces the No. 1 seed Michigan Wolverines (33-3) in the Sweet 16 at United Center in Chicago on Friday. Tipoff is 6:35 p.m. CT.

Alabama-Michigan will be televised nationally on TBS and truTV. Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas will call the game, with Evan Washburn reporting from the sidelines.

Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook, for ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Nate Oats' 'drama' could prevent UNC basketball hire, experts say

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