A star coach at the University of Alabama paid tribute to its biggest one on Wednesday.
Legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban surprised the college football world when he announced his retirement after 17 years leading the Crimson Tide. His tenure saw six national championships, nine SEC championships, four Heisman winners, 44 first-round NFL draft picks and eight College Football Playoff appearances across ten years of the four-team format.
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats paid respects to his fellow Capstone coach with a statement on Wednesday night:
Statement from Nate Oats to @tuscaloosanews on Nick Saban retirement: “Nick Saban is the greatest college football coach of all time and one of the best coaches in the history of team sports. It’s been an incredible honor to have had the opportunity to work alongside and learn…
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) January 11, 2024
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In his five years leading Alabama basketball, Oats has taken after Saban’s championship-winning pedigree. The Crimson Tide swept the SEC regular-season and tournament titles in both 2020-21 and 2022-23 and have made two trips to the Sweet 16 in three tournament appearances. Oats has also followed Saban’s lead in producing pro-level talent, as Herbert Jones and Brandon Miller have had successful young NBA careers.
Dec 4, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama head coach Nate Oats watches from the coaches box as the Crimson Tide plays Arkansas State at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
The road to a college basketball national championship is a winding one, maybe more so than that to a football championship. Time will tell whether…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-basketballs-nate-oats-pays-045831176.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2024-01-11 04:58:31
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