Nate Oats is no stranger to the Final Four. But next week will be the Alabama coach’s first time as one of the marquee names at the event.
On Saturday, Alabama secured its spot in the Final Four after outlasting Clemson 89-82 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
During his postgame press conference Saturday, Oats spoke openly about his past trips to the Final Four when he was still barely scraping by as a Michigan high school coach.
The 49-year-old head coach was a frequent Final Four attendee in the 2000s trying to build up his network. During those days, Oats would sometimes be forced to sleep on the floor of a friend’s hotel room in order to save money.
Perhaps his best quote of the night came as he walked out of the press conference venue.
“I’m gonna have a bed this time,” Oats said casually, via 247 Sports’ Mike Rodak. “It’s gonna be my own, too.”
After five solid years of rebuilding the Alabama basketball program into a Final Four team, Oats fully deserves to sleep in his own bed in Phoenix.
Oats will have Dan Hurley’s powerhouse UConn squad waiting for him when he wakes up.
