5 SEC schools who would be better with Alabama’s Nate Oats as their head coach 

Nate Oats has been at the forefront of Alabama's surge in recent years. In five years of coaching the Crimson Tide, he has guided the team to a 117-54 record and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four stint last season.

In March, Oats agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in charge till March 14, 2030. He'll have five more seasons to try and guide the program to its first-ever national championship.

His five-out dribble-drive approach has turned Alabama into one of the top teams in a tough Southeastern Conference. It begs the question of which teams could do with someone like Nate Oats at the helm.

Here are the five teams that would likely make a turnaround if Nate Oats was their coach.

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5 SEC schools who would be better with Alabama’s Nate Oats as their head coach

#1. Missouri Tigers

Tamar Bates and the Missouri Tigers could've needed Nate Oats' help in improving the program after an 8-24 (0-19 in SEC) record in the 2023-24 season. (Image Source: IMAGN).

From being one of the top teams in the SEC in the 2022-23 season, the Missouri Tigers crashed to last place for the season, losing all of its conference matchups and the SEC Tournament for an 8-24 overall mark. Poor execution down the stretch has victimized Missouri during the regular season as they kept it close in most parts of the game only to lose in the end.

The Tigers could be better in crunchtime with Oats as he has won a lot of contests when the game is on the line. During the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Oats was able to hold off West Regional top seed North Carolina (89-87) in the Sweet 16 and No. 6-ranked Clemson (89-82) by a combined margin of nine points to make the Final Four.

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#2. Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt plunged to a 9-23 (4-18 in SEC) record in the 2023-24 season from a 22-15 mark in the previous year. The abysmal record resulted in the firing of fifth-year coach Jerry Stackhouse after the end of the 2023-24 season.

The Commodores lost 14 of their next 16 games after going 3-1 in their first four games. Vanderbilt went 4-8 in the next 12 games, including the SEC Tournament, leading to its ouster in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The Commodores could have used the expertise of Oats in running a guard-heavy squad. They could make a run to the top of the SEC team standings if the 49-year-old is their bench tactician.

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#3. Georgia Bulldogs

Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Georgia had a promising start derailed in the middle stages of the 2023-24 SEC regular season games. (Image Source: IMAGN)

Georgia had a good start to the 2023-24 regular season, going 14-5 in their first 19 games. However, the Bulldogs hit a roadblock in their next 12, losing for a 16-15 overall record.

Georgia missed the NCAA Tournament but was invited to the NIT. Ranked fourth, the Bulldogs beat Xavier, Wake Forest and Ohio State in the first three rounds before succumbing to Seton Hall in the semifinals.

Nate Oats could've possibly staved off the losing skid and restored confidence in the team if he was their coach. Oats' team was a master of adjusting to their rivals' strengths, as evidenced by its victories over North Carolina in the Sweet 16.

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#4. LSU Tigers

LSU failed to make the NCAA Tournament after going 17-16 (9-9 in SEC) in the 2023-24 season. The Tigers were invited to play in the NIT but they lost to North Texas in the first round. LSU had a promising start to the season, going 10-5 in its first 15 games.

The Tigers, however, lost steam, falling to 12-12 in their next nine games. They made a late surge and went 5-3 but their 17-15 mark wasn't enough to make the NCAA Tournament, relegating them to the NIT.

Six of LSU's nine losses in the SEC had a margin of more than 10 points. It perhaps would've been different if Nate Oats coached the Tigers. They may just have kept themselves in the game and avoided those 10, 15 or 20-point losses.

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#5. Florida Gators

Walter Clayton Jr was one of Florida Gators' top stars last season (Image Source: IMAGN).

Florida was two points away from making the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but Colorado had other plans. The No. 7-seed Gators and the lower-ranked Buffaloes were engaged in a shootfest, however, Colorado held on to a 102-100 victory which bumped Florida out of contention.

Five of Florida's last six losses were decided by five points or less, including the 98-93 overtime defeat to Alabama. Nate Oats could have made a difference if he was the Gators' coach, especially in the crucial moments. Oats' Alabama were 4-1 in games decided by four points or less, including the 92-88 overtime win against Arkansas in the last game of the SEC regular season.

Do you think Nate Oats could lead any of the teams above to a national championship if he were their coach? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.