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Alabama

Nate Oats signs contract extension with Alabama to make him one of NCAA's highest-paid coaches

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax04/05/26BarkleyTruax

Nate Oats has signed a contract extension with Alabama men’s basketball, Yea Alabama announced on Sunday. The new deal will make him one of the top-five highest-paid coaches in college basketball.

“Appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement,” AD Greg Byrne wrote, via the school’s NIL collective on X. “And it will soon be formally approved through the Board process.”

Because the deal hasn’t been approved yet, specific contract details have not been revealed. However, it’s clear that Oats will be compensated well for his efforts leading the Crimson Tide over the past seven seasons.

The decision to retain Oats comes at a time where the North Carolina job is open. Locking him down long-term eliminates the Alabama coach from contention for that job.

He’s also found immense success in Tuscaloosa coaching the Crimson Tide. He’s pieced together a 170–73 (.700) record since taking over in 2019 and has led Alabama to its first Final Four in program history during in 2024.

Oats also has two SEC regular season and tournament titles — both coming in 2021 and 2023, respectively. He earned SEC Coach of the Year honors in 2021.

In addition, Alabama has made the NCAA Tournament in six-straight seasons — the first time that’s happened to the Crimson Tide since they did it in 1981-1987. His teams have never been lower than a No. 6 seed, including a No. 4 seed distinction this past season.

Alabama’s season would eventually end in the Sweet 16 during a season in which the Crimson Tide went 25-10 overall. That included a 13-5 mark against the SEC and was once again one of the league’s premier teams throughout conference play.

As far as contract numbers are concerned, UCLA‘s Mick Cronin is currently the fifth highest-paid coach in college basketball at $6.1 million this past season. Kansas head coach Bill Self is currently the highest at $8.3 million.