When the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking loss in last year's Sweet Sixteen, head coach Nate Oats knew something needed to change. He sought wisdom from an unlikely source – Nick Saban, the legendary Alabama football coach whose office practically neighbors his own.
One might expect their conversation to revolve around nutrition plans, but Saban's advice transcended the specifics of the sport. He emphasized the importance of mental fortitude – focusing on the "next play" rather than dwelling on past losses. This mantra, "Next, next, next," became a cornerstone for Oats and his team.
Saban's "Process" – a system emphasizing daily improvement over chasing outcomes – resonated deeply with Oats, a former high school math teacher. He, too, is a data-driven coach, prioritizing high-percentage shots like layups and threes. The strategy is simple: consistently taking the best shots leads to long-term success, but only if the team can shake off missed attempts.
Oats' approach has paid dividends. Since his arrival in 2019, Alabama hasn't missed an NCAA tournament (excluding the 2020 cancellation) and has secured high seeds (never lower than a No. 6). However, the team consistently faltered in the second weekend. They were "knocking on the door," as Oats described it, but couldn't break through.
Enter Saban, a coach synonymous with winning but no stranger to losses. As Oats pointed out, many of Saban's championships came after crushing regular-season defeats. Despite his stoic demeanor, Saban readily shared his wisdom with Oats, a tradition that began years earlier.
Fresh off his hire from Buffalo, Oats sought to learn from the master. He shadowed Saban, attending practices, staff meetings, and road trips, absorbing every detail of the football program's operations.
Oats' reverence for Saban predates their Alabama colleague status. Back in his teaching days, Oats used Saban's quotes to motivate his students. Now, the retired Saban has become a regular fixture at Alabama basketball home games, accompanied by his wife Terry.
During a film session late in the season, Saban's presence left some players "star-struck," recounted senior transfer Grant Nelson. His message, however, was clear: stay focused on the present and avoid dwelling on past mistakes. Oats echoed this sentiment, emphasizing his team's progress in "moving to the next play" in recent games.
Oats' coaching philosophy culminated in a thrilling Sweet Sixteen victory over the No. 1 seeded North Carolina Tar Heels. This come-from-behind upset propelled the Tide to the brink of the national championship. But true to Saban's philosophy, Oats steered his team away from complacency. "Rat poison," a term Saban uses for excessive praise, was off the menu. "Celebrate for 30 minutes," Oats instructed, "but we have to move on to Clemson."
