re: Nate Oats is the best hire not named Nick Saban this University has ever made.

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hes the 3rd best coach behind bear and saban. now if he starts winning basketball championships that will be a different story

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He'd have to go on some pretty all-time runs to make that move.

He's a tremendous HC. Bama is extraordinarily lucky to have him. But, Saban is the GOAT in the #1 sport by far in college athletics within a very competitive era with unique challenges. Bears longevity and sustained dominance is a close 2nd.

It would have to be multiple championships and regular Elite 8 and FF appearances coupled with absolutely dominating the conference. All is possible, but a very big hill to climb in sports and tourneys that are not like each other.

Agree

Actually, it was Wallace “Bear” Wade, who won 3 NCs in 1925, 26 & 30. Took Alabama to the only bowl in the country at the time, the Rose Bowl, and went 2-0-1 in 3 tries. Teams overall going 10-0, 9-0-1 and 10-0 respectively. He left after the ‘30 season.

He not only put Alabama football on the map, but Southern football. It was only 60 years after the Civil War - you can’t image the contempt with which the South was held (if you understand that it is bad now, it doesn’t compare to then - WW2 changed it some). There were many who whined about choosing a team from the South, assuming they could not compete, with some predicting a 50 point loss. After the 20-19 win, as the team travelled home by train they stopped at other places in the South to be treated as conquering warriors returning victorious from Chancellorsville. It meant a lot to the South, hence the beginning of the South’s passion for the sport: They could compete with the rest of the country.

Again, one can’t overstate the social significance of that victory. Of course it has no effect like that anymore. But that is the genesis of Alabama’s great passion for football and to a lesser extent the Souh’s. To the rest of the nation Alabama has always represented Southern football, though that has diminished some with the success of other programs in the last 20 years.

Frank Thomas succeeded Wade and won at the same rate as Wade, 81% vs Bryant @ 82% and Saban @ 86%, and 1 NC (I don’t count the bogus ‘41 claim) in 1934 with Dixie Howell, Don Hutson and Paul Bryant, among other great players on that team. He also won the first two SEC championships, 4 overall in 14 years. Thomas also coached Harry Gilmer and the 1945 team to a 10-0 season, winning the 1945 season’s Rose Bowl in a blowout over USC in their first loss in 10 Rose Bowls, but finishing 2nd behind Army in the AP. He was 2-1 in 3 Rose Bowls.

In the 21 years from Alabama’s first Rose Bowl, of 6, in ‘25 till the last in ‘45, the last open Rose Bowl, Alabama was 4-1-1, the rest of the country was 4-11 vs the host West coast teams.

I love Oats but unless you lived it you can’t comprehend how big Coach Bryant was. We were the most successful team in the 60’s and the 70’s but that doesn’t tell the story. What he meant to the state of Alabama was incalculable. He also transcended sports even on a national stage. He was the face of college football and people who didn’t really follow the game would recognize him.

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Just an unreal coach we have to keep doing whatever it takes to keep him.

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I agree almost entirely although I'd switch it slightly to best non-football hire ever or 3rd best overall hire ever because despite Coach Bryant's strong personal ties to Alabama football it's hard to argue he isn't the best ever non-Saban hire in Alabama history.

None of that takes away from your point however because I would agree that it's difficult to argue that given the circumstances at the time of his hiring that Oates isn't the best non-Saban hire other than Coach Bryant in school history.

Oates was literally hired in the midst of Auburn's Final 4 run and who could have imagined at the time that he would actually go on to surpass what Pearl has done at Auburn. He's been every bit as good as Pearl since he arrived. I bolded the stats each has over the other the past 6 seasons. The numbers speak for themselves...

Oates (2019/2020 thru 2024/2025) - 6 seasons

2 regular season SEC titles
2 SEC tournament titles
5 NCAA tournament bids (no worse than a 6 seed)
4 Sweet 16 appearances (our last 5 NCAA tournament appearances)
1 Elite Eight
1 Final 4
10 NCAA tournament wins (last 5 NCAA tournaments)

144 wins the last 6 seasons (tied with Pearl)


Pearl (2014/2015 thru 2024/2025) - 11 seasons

3 regular season SEC titles
2 SEC tournament titles
6 NCAA tournament bids
2 Sweet 16 appearances (their last 5 NCAA tournament appearances)
1 Elite Eight
1 Final 4
8 NCAA tournament wins (last 5 NCAA tournaments)

144 wins the last 6 seasons (tied with Oates)

Absolutely tremendous hire.

I was skeptical at first. Fact of the matter is the results simply aren’t debatable. This is an unprecedented run of success for Bama basketball. The only remaining plaudit he hasn’t achieved is a title.

He led Bama to a final four run. No Bama coach had done better. Guy just knows ball

No one will surpass Saban in success, and no one will surpass Bryant in stature.

There was this one coach named bear bryant…