When Nate Oats took the job in Tuscaloosa five years ago, on some level, he knew what he was getting into. No matter what Oats did, how many games he won or how exciting his teams were — Alabama would always be first and foremost a football school.
But, Oats took advantage of that terrain by seeking advice from all of Alabama’s successful coaches, including Nick Saban, who have each contributed to making Alabama into what he confidently called a championship school. WATCH:
"I love the fact we're at a football school. We're gonna try to add another sport to the championship school level, because I think we're knocking on the door there." – Nate Oats after Alabama's win over Clemson to advance to the first Final Four in program history.#RollTide… pic.twitter.com/UgqJyeOq5w
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) March 31, 2024
“When I came to Alabama I knew it was a football school, there’s no denying it…But I think it’s a championship school…I’m gonna pick the brain of all the ultra-successful coaches throughout the department,” he said.
“I’m a big football fan. I came to Alabama loving the fact that I was gonna be able to work in the same athletic department as arguably the best not even just football coach but team coach in all of modern sports history. I didn’t wanna bother him, but I certainly picked his brain whenever it was appropriate.”
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Oats said he tried to soak up every bit of knowledge from Saban that he possibly could.
“I went and watched practices, I sat in on staff meetings, I shadowed him for a day, I went on road trips with him to see how they operated…it never nagged me or bothered me that football was huge at Alabama, I loved it,” he said.
Oats went on to say that while he loves that Alabama is a football school, he is trying to add another sport to the Alabama championship rolodex.
“I love the fact we’re at a football school. We’re gonna try to add another sport to the championship school level, because I think we’re knocking on the door there.”
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
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