Alabama's Nate Oats signs new contract to make him a top-5 highest-paid head coach, school says

Kari AndersonSun, April 5, 2026 at 6:01 PM UTC

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Alabama head coach Nate Oats has signed a new deal to stay with the school, athletic director Greg Byrne announced Sunday. The deal, per Byrne, will make him one of the highest-paid men’s basketball coaches in the NCAA.

“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 a statement on social media. “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.”

Byrne did not provide additional details about Oats’ exact salary, but a top-five deal would put Oats above $6 million annually, based on the current list of highest-compensated coaches per USA Today. The head coach earned $5.5 million this year under an extension he signed in 2024.

Oats has led the Crimson Tide to six consecutive NCAA tournaments since taking over as head coach in 2019. This year, Alabama advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to Michigan.

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Oats joins Tommy Lloyd, who signed a new deal with Arizona earlier this week, in locking up a lucrative contract with his current team. Like Lloyd, Oats’ name was one of many thrown around in the wake of North Carolina firing Hubert Davis last month. But when he was asked about the UNC vacancy during the Crimson Tide’s March Madness run, Oats reaffirmed his commitment to staying in Alabama. “To me, there’s absolutely no reason to leave here,” he said.

However, Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken reported that Oats was never really in the running for the Tar Heels gig in the first place. Oats’ recent tenure at Alabama has come with some controversy: Only two years removed from the Brandon Miller situation, junior guard Aden Holloway was arrested for possession of marijuana last month, causing him to miss the tournament. Oats’ insistence on bringing in Charles Bediako, before the center was ruled ineligible due to his NBA G League experience, also raised some eyebrows.

Last month, Oats had evaded questions about why he hadn’t signed a new contract, which sparked some speculation that Oats may have been getting bids from other schools. Oats, though, insisted that he was incredibly appreciative of what he had.

“On March 15, my salary went up $500,000,” Oats said. “I still can’t believe I’m getting paid this much. I’m coaching basketball, guys.”

Now, Oats seems more than happy to take another pay raise.

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Source: “AOL Sports”