Alabama head coach Nate Oats quickly addressed speculation that he could be a candidate for the Michigan coaching job.
John Beilein, who spent 12 years with the Wolverines and led them to two Final Four appearances, was hired as the new coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Of course, given Oats’ roots in the state, that led to many wondering if he would potentially entertain an offer from the school despite being in Tuscaloosa for less than two months.
Here’s what he had to say about the rumors, courtesy of Cecil Hurt of TideSports.com:
“I firmly believe in God’s hand in guiding our lives,” Oats told TideSports. “If I was meant to be at Michigan, the job would have come open two months ago. So I believe there is a reason why I am at Alabama.
“Michigan is a great job and they will get a great coach. But there is no reason that Alabama cannot be a great job. That’s what I want to build. It makes sense that there would be speculation because I coached in that state for 11 years (as a high school coach in the Detroit area) but I am meant to be here (at Alabama),” he added.
He also made it clear that his sole focus was on helping build the Alabama program:
“We love it at Alabama,” he said via text message. “Completely focused on our job there and getting our family moved down there. I hope my former assistant at Romulus, Saddi Washington, who’s been with Beilein the longest at Michigan gets a shot at the job. Roll Tide.”
Oats started his head coaching career at Romulus High School in Detroit before heading to Buffalo in 2013, where he led the Bulls to unprecedented success during his tenure with the team.
The Crimson Tide return several key contributors next season while adding a top 20 recruiting class to the mix.
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