Alabama's NCAA Tournament is "Final Four or bust" for Nate Oats

Nate Oats is about to embark on his eighth go-around of coaching a team in the NCAA Tournament. 10 seasons ago, Oats coached Buffalo to the Big Dance as a No. 14 seed. At the time, he was just happy to be there.

“Shoot, I was a high school coach three years before that [first appearance,”] Oats told reporters Sunday night after Alabama received a No. 2 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. “I was fortunate to be the head coach at a Division I team. I was enjoying the moment being in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach. I believe we had Miami that first year out in Providence if I remember correctly, and we actually played them fairly tough for a while. Ended up losing. They were really good that year. And then we were able to win a couple NCAA Tournament games in Years 3 and 4 at Buffalo.”

Oats’ tournament success with the Bulls what part of what got him the Alabama job before the 2019-20 season. He’s continued making NCAA Tournament, raising the level of basketball in Tuscaloosa, which included leading the Tide to its first-ever Final Four appearance last season.

Those raised levels come with increased expectations. Oats can be considered a veteran of the NCAA Tournament given the number of trips he’s made and his success winning games in the tournament with Alabama and Buffalo. But Oats also knows he and his Alabama program want much more than to just enjoy earning an invite to the Big Dance.

“I’m not just happy to be in the NCAA Tournament right now,” Oats said. “We need to make a run. Getting into the tournament is not good enough. Anything short of the Final Four would be a disappointment in my opinion. That’s what the expectation is.”

Alabama receiving a 2-seed is a strong accomplishment. But given the preseason hype and expectations, it may be a disappointing result for a team that seemed before the season to have the squad on paper contend for the No. 1 overall seed, an honor that went to Alabama’s in-state rival Auburn. The Tide crashed out in the SEC Tournament semifinals against Florida, another team on the No. 1 seed line.

Still, Oats helped the Tide compete and finish third in a Southeastern Conference that sent a record 14 teams. Just nine days ago Alabama beat that same Auburn team on the road in its regular season finale.

At times, Alabama has looked like one of the nation’s best teams. Oats thinks it can be one of the few teams left standing in the tournament if it's able to course-correct after a blowout defeat to the Gators and gain the same momentum his team did last year to go where no Alabama team had gone before.

“I know we’re a 2-seed," Oats said. "So the Elite Eight is supposed to be where it ends, and if we don’t play well — play a lot better than we did in the second half yesterday we won’t even make it that far. But we’re more than capable of making it back to a Final Four, and winning the games in the Final Four.”

Oats isn’t the same coach as when he led Buffalo to the Big Dance. He’s grown from one of America’s hottest mid-major coaches to one of the best coaches in the country, taking the Alabama program to new heights. Those new heights come with more pressure and greater expectations. Instead of overjoyed, Oats is content with the 2-seed, but only if it turns into another major run in March and keeps Alabama at the elevated status he helped it reach.

“Expectation levels are a little bit different than they were nine years ago,” Oats said. “Still fortunate to be coaching at the Division level, but personally I’ve got higher expectations and the program here has higher expectations.”

Alabama will begin NCAA Tournament play against No. 15 seed Robert Morris. The Tide and Colonials will face off at 11:40 a.m. CT Friday in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena. The game will be broadcast on TruTV.