Just days after leading the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program to its first-ever Final Four appearance, there are rumors that he could be on his way out of Tuscaloosa. With John Calipari leaving the Kentucky Wildcats for the Arkansas Razorbacks job, there is an intriguing job opening in Lexington.
This coaching carousel is still in the early stages and began when the first domino fell of Eric Musselman left Arkansas for the head coaching position for the USC Trojans.
Alabama and Oats recently reached an agreement on a long-term contract extension that features a buyout of over $18 million, but that steep price may not be an issue for Kentucky.
ESPN SEC commentator Paul Finebaum recently stated that the Wildcats saved a lot of money by not firing Calipari, and that they may be willing to dig into their pockets to bring in a coach that can change the program for the better.
The athletics department would not have to look very far, as Oats is in the SEC and is undoubtedly one of the hottest names in college basketball at the moment.
“The one you have to keep your eye on, we just saw SEC to SEC, Keep your eye on Nate Oats. He just took Alabama – yes, Alabama – to the Final Four for the first time in history. The only issue, he just got a new contract from Greg Byrne, the athletic director, and Greg Byrne put in a $20 million buyout.”
With the news of Calipari’s departure still fresh, there has yet to be any official word on the possibility of Oats being contacted by the Kentucky athletic department. For now, it’s all speculation, but it’s hard to believe that Oats wouldn’t be on a short list of possible targets for the Wildcats.
Paul Finebaum says to keep an eye on Nate Oats for the Kentucky head coaching job. pic.twitter.com/LmQxSwuT4k
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 8, 2024
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Nate Oats and the possibility of losing him to Kentucky as more news and reports become available.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM.