Alabama coach Nate Oats is sticking around for the foreseeable future.
The university announced Oats signed a new contract on Sunday, April 5, making him one of the top five highest-paid coaches in college basketball, per a statement from athletic director Greg Byrne.
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The new contract was announced via Yea Alabama, the school’s name, image and likeness platform.
“Nate Oats has signed a new contract that will make him one of the top five compensated men’s basketball coaches in the country,” Byrne said in the announcement. “Appropriate members of the board of trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement and it will soon be formally approved through the board process.”
The move comes after Oats was tied to North Carolina’s open coaching position. The blue-blood program fired coach Hubert Davis after its first-round loss to Virginia Commonwealth in the Men’s NCAA Tournament, and has been tied to numerous high-end coaches such as Oats, Michigan coach Dusty May and Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who also signed an extension on Friday, April 3.
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Nate Oats contract details
The announcement didn’t include details regarding Oats’ salary, though it stands to be a substantial raise from his old agreement, which was signed in 2024 after Oats led Alabama to its first-ever Final Four appearance.
According to USA TODAY’s coaching salaries database, Oats was the 10th highest-paid basketball coach among programs at public institutions in 2025-26, making roughly $5 million. He was set to receive $7.75 million in the final year of the deal that ran through 2030.
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The fifth highest-paid coach is UCLA’s Mick Cronin, who made $6.1 million, while Kansas’ Bill Self was the highest paid at $8.8 million.
Nate Oats record at Alabama
Oats has taken Alabama to new heights since being hired from Buffalo in 2019, accumulating a 170-73 record in seven seasons at the helm. He has taken the program to five Sweet 16s, making four in a row, and has the most NCAA Tournament wins in program history (13).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nate Oats signs extension at Alabama, becomes top 5 highest-paid coach
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