Aftеr yеars of coming closе, Alabama baskеtball has finally punchеd its tickеt to thе prеstigious Final Four, a historic milеstonе for thе program following thеir hard-fought 89-82 victory ovеr Clеmson. Yеt, amidst thе chееrs and cеlеbrations, thеrе’s a talе of unеxpеctеd influеncе shaping this triumph. While Alabama is synonymous with football glory, with a staggеring 18 national titlеs, it is former HC Nick Saban’s towеring lеgacy that casts a long shadow ovеr thе institution.

Saban is a titan in the world of NCAA and sеrvеs as an inspiration—not only to football tеams but also to coachеs across various disciplinеs. But, littlе did hе know, his coaching principlеs and lеgacy would quiеtly pеrmеatе thе Crimson Tidе’s baskеtball journеy and played an unassuming yеt pivotal role in thеir historic ascеnt.

Following the Tide’s win, Nate Oats shared his deep admiration for Saban to this day. In fact, Oats’ admiration for Saban predates his tenure at Alabama. Even before assuming the head coach role for the Crimson Tide basketball program, Oats held Saban in high regard. Upon joining the Alabama coaching staff, Oats seized every opportunity to glean insights from Saban’s leadership and methods, even if it meant shadowing him for a whole day!

“When I took the job, I loved that I would have a chance to be around him…I didn’t want to bother him… (but) I sat in on staff meetings and shadowed him for a day… I (learned) all I could,” Oats shared. This dedication stems from Oats’ longstanding appreciation for Saban’s approach to leadership.

Basketball embracing Nick Saban’s wisdom

During his tenure coaching high school basketball at Romulus High School in Detroit, Oats often shared quotes from Saban with his players, recognizing the wisdom inherent in Saban’s words. Oats views the opportunity to learn from Saban as invaluable. He acknowledges the proximity of their offices and emphasizes the importance of leveraging Saban’s expertise. “For me not to take advantage of that, I would be a complete idiot,” Oats remarked. “I am going to take advantage of that as much as possible.”

Read More: “Only 18 National Championships Behind”: Nate Oats Addresses Nick Saban & Co’s Rich History by Giving Hilarious Hurry up to His Team

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In his post-win presser, recognizing the overwhelming attention directed towards Nick Saban’s football empire, Oats acknowledged basketball’s secondary position but welcomed it wholeheartedly. He even integrated Saban’s motivational quotes into his coaching ethos. “I love it,” Oats remarked about football’s prominence at Alabama. “It’s better for recruiting. It’s better for everything for us. I tried to learn from it.”

In his quest for excellence, Nate Oats’ admiration for Nick Saban serves as both a guiding light and a testament to his unwavering commitment to continuous improvement.

Read More: Kalen DeBoer Joins Mac Jones in Celebrating Alabama’s Historic Achievement