Nate Oats has once again guided Alabama to the Elite Eight, marking the second consecutive season of this achievement. Although the Crimson Tide’s journey ended against a dominant Duke team, Oats is unlikely to depart Tuscaloosa anytime soon.
Over the weekend, speculation arose about Oats possibly being frustrated with Alabama’s NIL distribution, particularly with football receiving the majority of the funds. However, these rumors seem to lack credibility.
According to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman, Oats has “no interest in the vacant Maryland job,” despite recent speculation linking him to the position following Kevin Willard’s move to Villanova.
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That logic holds up— even if Oats were upset about Alabama’s NIL situation (though there’s no real evidence to support that), it wouldn’t make much sense for him to leave for Maryland, considering Willard just departed partly due to his own NIL frustrations.
This appears to be a case where misinformation from a fake social media account gained enough traction that Jeff Goodman had to step in with a credible report to shut it down.
Oats has transformed Alabama into an SEC powerhouse, and you can expect to see him back on the Crimson Tide bench next season, aiming for another deep March Madness run.
