Nate Oats describes his adjustment when he left Buffalo for Alabama

Kalen De Boer 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 areas from each other, Oats isn’t complaining 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 to Buffalo for six years. I’ve lived in the North all my life and I came here. I love that. »

Oats has a well-documented basketball background. 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 Arizona State 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 would argue that Alabama doesn’t really care about basketball in a part of the world where football is so important. But Oats points out that there are no professional sports teams in the state. The Atlanta Hawks or Memphis Grizzles are in the area, but that’s not something the majority of Alabamans could support.

The program has enjoyed steady support, especially since the Crimson Tide started winning. Oats loves interacting with fans in the South as the passion for college basketball only grows.

“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 build his best team ever, with one of the best teams heading into the 2024-25 season. Big returns 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.