Alabama head coach Nate Oats will have an added responsibility to helm. No, it’s not March Madness that is being referred to as the extra responsibility, but a new international commitment that will keep him busy.

Nate Oats will serve as an assistant coach for the USA Basketball Junior (Under-18) National team this summer, as it was announced on Monday. Ironically, former Alabama coach and now the head coach at Dayton, Anthony Grant, has been given the responsibility of head coach. Oats will be sharing the assistant coach’s responsibility alongside Colgate’s headcoach Matt Langel.

The FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup will be played June 1-7 and will see Oats representing the national colors yet again. Notably, he had served as a court coach during training camp for the 2025 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team that helped develop 30-plus prospects last summer.

It’s no surprise that the US team would seek his advice to counsel and guide the young players, as Nate Oats has been exemplary in putting Alabama on the map with his efforts. Ever since Oats joined Alabama from Birmingham, he has been nothing but the bearer of good news for them.

Nate Oats has helped Alabama become the only program in the country to reach each of the last two NCAA Tournament Elite Eights, including the Crimson Tide’s first-ever Final Four appearance during the 2023-24 season.

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As March Madness is knocking on the door of every team, Oats is in a quite comfortable place as his team is cruising on a six-game winning streak, accumulating a record of 20 wins and 7 losses. With a recent victory over LSU, they now have Mississippi, Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia to contend with, but what is catching everyone’s attention now is Nate Oats’ new career move.

Fans Give Their Reaction To Nate Oats New Career Venture

Well, it didn’t take long for Nate Oats’ new career decision to hit social media as Alabama basketball shared this latest piece of information on their official handle. The fans, too, made their feelings clear on the matter as they shared their views.

“So Awesome! Congratulations, Coach @nate_oats ! So proud for you to be able to be a part of this experience,” said a commenter giving due praise to coach Oats on this new responsibility he has undertaken.

Well, it couldn’t have happened to a better man either. Nate Oats has truly led the team in his own enigmatic way, breaking records and creating history that will long live on at the Coleman Coliseum. A total of 235 games with 165 wins for the Crimson Tide, Nate Oats has truly been special in every manner. Turning a mid-tier program into a competent national contender is no easy feat. And his recruiting talent helps in times like these.

“Good, that’ll help us get better recruits,” said another commenter.

Oats’ ability to find talent is revered by many. Remember Josh Primo (2021 first-round pick) and Brandon Miller (2023), who quickly transitioned into the NBA. Over the years, he has been able to attract multiple top-15 national talents. And not just hone them but also facilitate them in their overall growth, but apart from growth, there have also been some errors that Oats will hope to contain within his team.

“They going to shoot 45 3s and play no defense,” an X user wrote.

This comment was directed, taking a sly jab at how Alabama is going at the moment.  While Alabama enjoys the benefits of having guards who shoot efficiently from beyond the arc, like Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon Jr., the defense has clearly been its weak point.

Their inability to force turnovers, manage perimeter defense, and create steals (Philon Jr. leads with just 1.2 steals per game) has shown the gaps they need to fill in their game.

Out of all the comments that came, one particularly stood out because of the witty jab it intended to throw at the coach.

“Nate Oatmeal is reportedly trying to get 43-year-old Lebron James to play on his U18 team. A lawsuit has been filed,” said a user, and it wouldn’t take a genius to decode where the person was going with the comment.

This was a backhanded comment at Nate Oats, who has found himself in quite a mess with the whole Charles Bediako situation. While Bediako’s future with Alabama hangs in the balance as he seeks “interim injunctive relief” to continue with the remainder of the season, fans still haven’t taken this initiative by Oats kindly and have not shied away from voicing their displeasure with him for hiring a player with a two-way contract with the NBA, exploiting a loophole in the system.