Alabama HC Nate Oats is focused on winning a title rather than leaving

Nate Oats could probably coach anywhere he wanted to, college or pro.

He's gone 117-54 over the last five seasons at Alabama, including four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament as well as a run to the Final Four last season.

Oats is a good coach, and he's built something sustainable at Alabama.

He's good enough to be a hot target for other big-time openings last season he was a hot candidate to replace John Calipari at Kentucky but he seems extremely content with Alabama.

It's not just being comfortable either.

Instead, Oats simply just wants to finish what he's started in Tuscaloosa.

Oats recently talked to Jon Rothstein on the "College Hoops Today" podcast and explained his desire to remain at Alabama over potentially finding a "blue blood" program to coach.

I, personally, Id like to win one here.

Id like to stay here.

You know, weve built this thing in the last five years to a pretty special program," Oats said (h/t On3 ).

Nate Oats on the #CollegeHoopsToday Podcast: Alabama's run to the Final Four last spring, his interest in coaching in the NBA, Cliff Omoruyi, and much more.

Plus a deep dive on Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest.

https://t.co/cHrtu0BJ78 Oats did confirm that there was interest from other schools this past offseason, and he even went as far as to explain why that interest could be mutual.

I mean, it makes sense.

Thanks to Nick Saban, Alabama is firmly a football school.

That wouldn't be the case at a place like Kentucky, for instance.

"We had some interest from some other programs that maybe had a little bit more basketball tradition.

Theres some intrigue to that.

Theres some places here that, you know, even in our league, that maybe are more basketball schools, if you will," Oats explained.

With that said, he still seems obsessed with being the coach to bring Alabama basketball to the mountaintop.

"Its a little more special to win the first, you know, and make it to the first Final Four, have a chance to win the first national championship at a school than it would be to win, you know, multiple ones, you know," Oats said.

That's great news for Alabama fans because it does sound like Oats is dug in and focused on continuing to build his hoops program..

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