Bama makes Oats among 5 highest-paid coaches

Why it matters: Nate Oats' new contract through 2031-32 solidifies his position as one of the five highest-paid college basketball coaches.
- Alabama coach Nate Oats has signed a new contract, making him one of the five highest-paid college basketball coaches in the country (per school announcement).
- Oats' new deal will extend through the 2031-32 season (sources told ESPN).
- Athletic director Greg Byrne stated the contract will soon be formally approved through the board process.
- Oats has led Alabama to five Sweet 16 appearances in the past six years, including a 2024 Final Four run, two SEC regular-season championships, and the program's first-ever No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA tournament.
- This extension marks Oats as the third potential North Carolina vacancy candidate to receive a new contract, following Vanderbilt's Mark Byington and Arizona's Tommy Lloyd.
Alabama has secured coach Nate Oats with a new contract through the 2031-32 season, making him one of the top five highest-paid college basketball coaches nationally, according to ESPN sources and a school announcement. This extension follows a period of significant success for Oats, including a 2024 Final Four run and five Sweet 16 appearances in six years, and positions him as the third potential candidate for the North Carolina vacancy to receive an extension since Hubert Davis's firing.




