Alabama basketball HC Nate Oats to Maryland rumors get shot down

03/31/2025 11:22 AM

While Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats was finding answers for the Elite Eight loss to Duke, a rumor involving Maryland was quickly mentioned.

Originally, there was a rumor that suggested that Oats would leave the program for the Terrapins. It was due to the Alabama athletic department focusing too much money on the football program.

While the latter is a national championship contender, so is the basketball program. Unfortunately, the Crimson Tide ran into the Blue Devils. Still, it didn’t stop the Oats to Maryland rumor from circulating.

According to Jeff Goldman on X (formerly Twitter), he detailed that Oats has no interest in the vacant job. From a logical sense, it wouldn’t make sense for him to leave anyway.

The SEC has substantially more money than the Big Ten. Not to mention, Maryland lost head coach Kevin Willard due to issues with the athletic department and their commitment to the program. Now, the latter is with the Villanova Wildcats.

For Oats, he’s made a Final Four and an Elite Eight in his previous two seasons. He’s inched closer and closer to national championship status. Now, he’ll need to keep building up the program in order for it to be successful, long-term.

Nate Oats is staying with Alabama basketball, despite Maryland rumors

Although players have been moving throughout college basketball, so have coaches. As mentioned earlier, Willard left Maryland for Villanova and even hinted at it during the NCAA tournament.

For Oats, he has made some stops but is in his first Power conference job. After succeeding at Buffalo, Oats took his talents to Tuscaloosa, where he has been a master.

He’s been a two-time conference tournament winner, and regular season conference winner. In addition, Alabama basketball has been in the NCAA tournament for the past five seasons.

That level of consistency is unparalleled, even in as tight of an SEC conference as it is, right now. Leaving the conference wouldn’t make too much sense.

After all, the university gave Oats a massive contract extension last offseason. Furthermore, the increased commitment to the basketball program hasn’t gone unnoticed.

While Oats was real about Alabama basketball’s success in January, he can replicate that same success with time. He’s only spent six seasons with the program and has already built it into stardom.

At this point, championships are likely next on his radar. The football program has excelled with those, and Oats could be the catalyst for the basketball program.

Unfortunately for Maryland, the Crimson Tide head coach is staying put, at least for now.

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