Public recognition for Alabama Crimson Tide head basketball coach Nate Oats continues to roll in as the recently-crowned SEC champion awaits the start of the Big Dance.
Oats has been named a finalist for the Naismith and USBWA Coach of the Year awards. The USBWA is the United States Basketball Writers Association and the Naismith Coach of Year award is a function of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The two organizations announced their selection of Oats on Wednesday.
Only three other coaches — Baylor’s Scott Drew, Gonzaga’s Mark Few and Michigan’s Juwan Howard — made both lists.
Oats led the Tide out of decades in the basketball doldrums during the 2020-2021 season. Alabama captured its first regular-season SEC title in 19 years and its first SEC Tournament win in 30 years.
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The ultimate winner of the Naismith Coach of the Year award will be announced on April 4. Fans have a say in who receives the award, and those interested can go here beginning March 19. The voting allows the public to cast one ballot per day.
There is less delay in learning the winner of the USBWA award. The organization says it will announce its Coach of the Year, which is based on regular-season performance, on Friday, March 19.
Over the weekend Alabama was named the fifth overall seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Tide are set to face off against a Rick Pitino-led Iona College team on Saturday, March 20 in the first round of the tournament.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
