Alabama's Nate Oats clears the air on interest from NBA ahead of 2025-26 season: "There’s been no real offers"

Alabama coach Nate Oats failed to lead the Crimson Tide to another Southeastern Conference Tournament championship last season as they were eliminated by the eventual champions, the Florida Gators. They also fell short of the national championship following a defeat to the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight.

During Wednesday's episode of the "Paul Finebaum Show" at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am celebrity golf tournament in Hoover, Alabama, Oats talked about the rumors linking him to NBA jobs over the years due to his stellar work with the Crimson Tide.

“In the NBA, there may have been some rumors," Oats said. "There’s been no real offers. I’ve got daughters still in high school. I’m not sure I want that travel schedule right now, to be honest with you. I like our travel schedule in college a lot better than what the NBA’s is. So there hasn’t been a real need for me to move. I haven’t seen the need to move, to be honest with you.

"I feel like we’ve been the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, we’ve made a Final Four, we’ve won more SEC championships than anybody in the SEC since we’ve been here. So we can win at the highest level here. The season is shorter, I love coaching but it is nice to have a little bit of an offseason. I love watching the NBA, but it's definitely a different deal up there."

Nate Oats reveals natty ambitions at Alabama

Nate Oats has guided the Crimson Tide to the NCAA Tournament for five consecutive years, including two Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight and one Final Four appearance. Last season, Oats removed himself from consideration for the Kentucky Wildcats job when John Calipari departed for the Arkansas Razorbacks job, and Mark Pope eventually got the position.

During an interview with reporters at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am celebrity golf tournament in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oats revealed why he has stayed loyal to Alabama and what his goals for the future are in Tuscaloosa.

“Look, few things," Oats said. "One is the people have been great to me. Greg Byrne gave me the chance when nobody else at a high major hired me out of Buffalo, so there’s a lot of loyalty in that. I enjoy it where I’m at. The people treat us well. We’re winning at a high level. So I’d like to win the whole thing here sooner rather than later. That’s the goal.”

Oats has an $18 million contract buyout after signing an extension with the Crimson Tide last year, although that figure will drop to $10 million next year and to $4 million in 2027.