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JaMychal Green compares Nate Oats at Alabama to Nick Saban

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh02/11/26griffin_mcveigh

Alabama great JaMychal Green got an up-close look at the program on Saturday. He was in attendance for the victory at Auburn, even working as an analyst for the radio team. To say Green came away impressed would be a massive understatement. Green went as far as to compare head coach Nate Oats to the biggest legend of all in Tuscaloosa.

“He’s kind of reminding me of the new (Nick) Saban, basketball-wise,” Green said. “The way he came in and turned the program around and what he’s doing. He’s doing a great job. He was the perfect fit for the program and excited to see the continuance of greatness that he’s bringing to the program.”

Oats has been at Alabama for seven seasons now, making the NCAA Tournament in every single opportunity given. The lone year the Crimson Tide did not appear in March Madness is when there was no postseason due to COVID-19. From there, Oats has made playing late in March quite routine. He even got one game in April.

The highest point of Oats’ tenure thus far is guiding Alabama to the Final Four. Coming in 2024, it’s ironically the second-lowest seed Alabama has earned under Oats as a four. Still, a magical run that included second weekend wins over North Carolina and Clemson sent the program to a place it’s never been. You can say the same about the previous year, where Alabama was the No. 1 overall seed before losing in the Sweet Sixteen.

All this without mentioning what Oats has accomplished at the national level. Success in the SEC likely is a big part of what Green is talking about. Two regular season and two tournament titles are on the resume, coming in pairs during 2021 and 2023. It’s routinely a point of pride for Oats, hoping to add more within the next month.

Of course, Saban got Alabama over the national championship line three times by his seventh season. The 2009 title in Pasadena got the ball rolling before going back-to-back in 2011 and 2012. What Saban did in college football is unlikely to be replicated again, without even mentioning the back-end. To say he is a legend would be an understatement.

Green appears to like the consistency Oats provides. Alabama is on track to make the NCAA Tournament once again as a high single-digit seed. Many people, including Green, expect the run to continue for years to come.