The Alabama Crimson Tide is getting set to play the biggest game of the season on Friday night against No. 1 seed Michigan with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

While Nate Oats tries to get his team ready to play, a potential distraction could be looming with one of the biggest jobs in college basketball opening up that many have linked him to — a common occurrence with Oats over the years.

With North Carolina firing Hubert Davis, one of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball is looking for a new coach.

While this will not be the last time Oats has to answer questions about potentially leaving Tuscaloosa, he did put fans’ minds at ease when he was asked this week about UNC specifically.

“I’m not a guy that’s always trying to jump around,” Oats said. “I love Alabama. My girls love Alabama…[Alabama] is doing everything we can to make sure we’ve got a competitive program. As long as we’re able to compete to win championships here…I’d love to be the coach to bring us our first national championship. To me, there’s absolutely no reason to leave here…I’m not a guy that’s looking to get out of here any time soon.”

While having to worry about losing their coach is the last thing fans want on their mind, especially before a huge game, it’s also a testament to the job Oats has done since coming to Tuscaloosa.

Coaching in his fifth Sweet Sixteen, including the fourth consecutive — something just two other programs in the country can boast over the last half decade — Oats has ushered in a golden age of basketball to The University of Alabama.

Two years ago when the Kentucky job opened up, Oats quickly removed himself from consideration publicly and wound up signing an extension.

It seems North Carolina will play out similarly to Kentucky, but there is no denying that if UNC does in fact come calling, it would be tough for Oats to not at least listen.

At the end of the day, it seems Oats is committed to being in Tuscaloosa and wants to build his own championship level program at Alabama. He certainly is genuine in talking about his love for the program and desire to stay, so fans should feel good about that.

But you can never say never, and he would hardly be the first coach to change his mind.