Skip to main content
Alabama
Join Now

Alabama head basketball coach Nate Oats signs new contract

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter04/05/26Charlie_Potter

Nate Oats has signed a new contract with Alabama, director of athletics Greg Byrne announced, and the leader of the Crimson Tide is set to be one of the sport’s highest-paid head coaches.

“Nate Oats has signed a new contract that will make him one of the top five compensated men’s basketball coaches in the country,” Byrne said, via Yea Alabama. “Appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement and it will soon be formally approved through the Board process.”

With a blueblood program like North Carolina looking for a head coach, Oats’ name has been brought up in the search. But he is staying in Tuscaloosa. Oats’ current deal is through March of 2030, and he was set to earn $6,020,000 in 2026-27. He also had a buyout that dropped from $18 million to $10 million on April 1. New contract figures have not yet been announced. 

His new deal, however, will reportedly take him through the 2031-32 college basketball season.

Oats just finished his seventh season as the head coach of the Alabama men’s basketball team and has guided the Crimson Tide program to a 170-72 (87-38 SEC) record. Oats has coached in six straight NCAA Tournaments, including five Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights and Alabama’s first Final Four, and has also won two SEC regular-season and tournament championships.

Before this year’s Sweet 16, Oats was asked about other programs’ potential interest in him.

“There’s absolutely no reason to leave here,” Oats said in Chicago. “While it’s flattering that a high school guy that caught a couple breaks would be mentioned in some of these jobs, because they’ve got a lot of tradition, I’m not a guy that’s looking to get out of here any time soon.  I love it here. My girls love it here. I love working with the people of Alabama.”

Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!

Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $11.99! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting, and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!