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Alabama hires Buffalo's Nate Oats to replace Avery Johnson as basketball coach
Alabama moved quickly to fill its coaching vacancy.
Three days after finalizing a buyout with former coach Avery Johnson, the Crimson Tide have hired former Buffalo coach Nate Oats to lead their basketball program.
The school announced the hiring Wednesday afternoon.
“We are thrilled to welcome Nate and Crystal Oats and their three daughters to the University of Alabama,” athletic director Greg Byrne said. “I have been watching coach Oats for the last few years as he has led the University at Buffalo to unprecedented heights. His commitment to developing the student-athlete both on and off the court was what really stuck out.”
Oats led Buffalo to consecutive NCAA tournaments
Oats, 44, is coming off a second straight season of leading Buffalo to an NCAA tournament appearance. The No. 6 seed Bulls won their opening round matchup against Arizona State before falling to Texas Tech on Sunday.
He was named the MAC Coach of the Year in each of the last two seasons and spent four years as Buffalo’s coach.
Oats recently signed extension in Buffalo
Oats signed a five-year extension with Buffalo earlier in March that included a $750,000 buyout clause if he left the school this year.
He’ll replace Johnson, who spent four seasons with the Crimson Tide and “made the decision to mutually part ways” with the school after last weeks’s first-round exit in the NIT, according to Byrne.
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