The first major decision University of Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne made in Tuscaloosa has proven to have paid dividends. Byrne hired Nate Oats on March 27, 2019 to become the school’s next head basketball coach after the Avery Johnson era flamed out.

Oats was not a flashy hire, and not one that was extremely popular but — Byrne knew that Oats was the man for the job.

Five years later, Oats has Alabama on the cusp of going where the program has never gone, and the significance is not lost on Byrne:

Alabama AD @Greg_Byrne shares his emotions right out of the locker room #RollTide #GoHeels @MyBookie @Autograph pic.twitter.com/WntT0kyTHq

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) March 29, 2024

“Last year I came to Louisville for the Sweet Sixteen and we lost. And I’m like ‘well, I don’t wanna jinx it.’ But you wanna be with your team, because you know how hard these kids and coaches have worked, and how much this means to our university,” Byrne said with tears in his eyes after leaving the locker room.

“And we’re not done. We gotta keep going at it, but I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. And I’m so happy for all of our fans and anybody associated with the University of Alabama. Roll Tide.”

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP