Nate Oats, Nathanael Justin Oats, was born in Watertown, Wisconsin.

He was a three-year starter on the Maranatha Academy high school basketball team.

Maranatha Academy high school went 24–0 in his senior year.

Nate attended Maranatha Baptist University.

Maranatha Baptist University is a NCCAA Division II/NCAA Division III.

Nate was an all-conference player and served as captain of he Crusaders.

Nate majored in Math Education and earned a Bachelor’s degree.

He went on to attend University of Wisconsin-Madison for his post graduate studies.

He majored in kinesiology and exercise science.

He received a Master of Science degree.

After the 2002 season, Oats left Wisconsin–Whitewater to become the head basketball coach and a teacher at Romulus High School.

Romulus High School is outside Detroit, Michigan.

Oats coached at Romulus for 11 years.

He earned a record of 222 wins to 52 losses ( 222-52 ).

He want as far as the semifinals of the State Tournament five times.

In 2013, Oats led Romulus to state Class A championship.

The local press awarded Romulus coach of the year 4 times.

His awards were in 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2013.

Bobby Hurley, Robert Matthew Hurley, was the an assistant coach at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York.

In 2013, Bobby Hurley took an interest in Romulus High School guard E. C. Matthews.

Nate Oats was the head coach at Romulus.

Bobby Hurley took to Oats coaching approach.

Upon Bobby Hurley promotion to Head Coach at the University of Buffalo, he reached back out to Nate Oats.

He was able to bring Nate Oats on board as an assistant coach at Buffalo.

In his two years as an assistant at Buffalo, Oats did a commendable job.

Inclusive:-

1. Buffalo University achieved a 42–20 record
2. They won their first Mid-American Conference tournament and made their first ever NCAA tournament appearance.
3. Player Recruitment & Development
   • As an assistant at Buffalo, Oats was credited with recruiting Justin Moss
   • In the 2014–15 College season, Justin Moss won the MAC Player of the Year award.

On 2015-April-9th, Booby Hurley announced he would be leaving the University of Buffalo to take the reins at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.

Oats was named interim coach.

Danny White was the Athletic Director at the University of Buffalo.

Danny White reached out to the basketball team and inquired as to their comfort level with Nate Oats.

The Buffalo Bulls basketball team spoke with one voice that Nate Oats had their vote to have the interim removed from his name.

Danny White’s departing former head coach also casted a vote.

Booby Hurley promised he would recruit Nate Oats and take him with him to Arizona State if Danny White did not close the deal.

In a 2019 ESPN story on Oats, White recalled:-

Four days after the departure of Bobby Hurley, On 2015-April-13th, Nate Oats was officially awarded the head coach position at Buffalo University.

Oats starting salary was a quarter of a million ( $250, 000).

The Buffalo team that took to the floor in 2015 featured two players from Romulus players.

The players were:-

1. Christian Pino
2. Raheem Johnson

In his first season as head coach, Oats was able to coach his team to third place in their conference, Mid-American, during the regular season.

His team won the Mid-American tournament Championship.

Personnel Issues:-

Unfortunately, the team was a bit shorthanded.

1. Justin Moss
   • 2015 MAC Player of the Year Justin Moss was dismissed from the University
2. Shannon Evans
   • Shannon Evans, the second-leading scorer, transferred to Arizona State
   • He chose to go rejoin his former coach, Bobby Hurley

On 2019-March-27th, Nate Oats became head coach at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

He has taken his team to the NCCA Tournament for two straight years.

In the 2021-2022 regular season, his second as head coach, Oats won the SEC Conference coach of the Year award.

The crimson tides won both the regular season and the conference championship.

For the first time since the 2018 season, the tide made the NCCA Tournament.

In the 2021-22 NCAA Tournament, made it as far as to the Sweet 16.

The lost to UCLA in overtime.

In February of 2021, two-years post his freshmen contract of 2019, Bama renewed Oats contract.

The 2021 contract increased his compensation to a yearly salary of $3.225 million.

At the time of this writing ( 2023-January-18th ), Nate Oats has Alabama Crimson Tide ranked 4th in the Nation.

The incident happened the previous weekend.

On the following Tuesday ( 2023-January-17th), The Crimson Tide played University of Vanderbilt.

“I can’t believe it, I can’t fathom them even playing this game,” Stackhouse said. “My pregame speech, I may have even put a damper on it … because it was just like, man, we should just go out and honor the victims, honor this kid that we all know and have competed against whose life is changed forever. Just go out and be thankful. This game ain’t nothing, nothing.

“I’m so hurt for that kid’s family, that young lady’s family that didn’t feel like they were going to be losing their loved one … and we’re here to win a basketball game, so just be thankful that you have this opportunity to come out and compete. That’s all I said. You’ve got this opportunity and a kid that we got to know and compete against, that probably doesn’t ever happen for him again.”