Saturday’s game against the UConn Huskies will mark the first NCAA Final Four appearance for the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program. One man who has been at the forefront of the program’s success is head coach Nate Oats. He has been with Bama for the last 5 seasons. In that period, he has won two SEC titles and made two Sweet 16 appearances. 6 of his students, including the 2023 #2 overall pick Brandon Miller, have also been selected for the NBA Draft. Recently it was announced he has signed a new contract until 2030 as well. One of his biggest pillars of support throughout this has been his wife, Crystal.

There was a time when he decided to quit coaching after accepting his dream role to support his wife. She was diagnosed with a rare cancer and at the time, the chances of recovery were very slim. Yet she was the one who persuaded him not to leave his dream job and had faith that the family would pull through this hard time. But where did the couple meet?

A sweet college romance

Nate Oats first began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Maranatha Baptist University in 1997, where he began his career as a player and also met Crystal. His leadership skills were on display from the very beginning since he was the captain of the Sabercats. During his journey from Division III in Wisconsin to Division I in Alabama, he had strong support from his wife.

Crystal and Nate Oats have been married for over 2 decades and their love story began in college. While Nate was busy with basketball, Crystal was part of the volleyball team. However, it was not love at first sight for both of them since Nate was seeing another volleyball player. But that didn’t last long and since he was used to visiting volleyball games, he got to know about Crystal. The couple hasn’t looked back since that day. They are parents to 3 daughters, and there was a time when there was uncertainty over Crystal’s health.

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In 2013, the couple was excited as Nate’s career progressed as he was hired as an assistant coach at the University of Buffalo. Robert “Bobby” Hurley was the then coach of the team and he was impressed with Nate’s abilities. In 2015, Hurley moved on to Arizona State as the head coach and Nate was named the interim coach at the time. Danny White, the athletic director, revealed in an interview in 2019 with ESPN that Nate was the majority favorite in the locker room as everybody was happy with the way he was running the team. This great story of success for Nate and Crystal faced tragic news the same year.

Crystal Oats was diagnosed with cancer and faced an uncertain future

Crystal was diagnosed with double-hit lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of cancer. Alabama basketball on their X handle shared the story of the couple. Honoring Suits and Sneakers Week—a Coaches vs. Cancer event that collaborates with the basketball world in the fight against cancer. Nate Oats said while furniture shopping once trying to lead a normal life, the reality of the situation hit him and thought life was anything but normal. “There’s a good chance she doesn’t make it. In my mind, I’ve got three daughters. This is not good. Then you kind of get your mind right — OK, we can make it. Let’s figure this out.”

Through a GoFundMe campaign, the family got help from people for about $13,210. Nate was ready to leave his coaching duties, but Crystal didn’t want Nate to give up on their dream.

Crystal said, “It would seem selfish to me just to have him stay home. It just doesn’t make sense.” The treatment plan included multiple rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant afterward. Thankfully, the treatment worked and Crystal has been cancer-free since August 2016, according to WIVB-4 in Buffalo.

The couple is proud of each other’s success. Crystal is proud of how Nate has been developing Alabama basketball. Nate Oats is more proud of how his wife Crystal stayed headstrong and came out on top against cancer.

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