Why Nate Oats' commitment to Alabama is clearer than ever after Kentucky rumors | Kelly

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Talk is cheap. It takes money to buy whiskey.

My dad, Chuck, didn’t invent that phrase, but he likes to use it. He doesn’t even drink much whiskey, but he has passed along the words of wisdom to my sisters and me over the years. He figured there was something for us to learn from it.  

The takeaway? Words don't require much. Action does. Saying you will do something is easier than actually following through and doing it.

Nate Oats has demonstrated the easy and hard parts of that phrase through the process that ended with him reaffirming his commitment to Alabama basketball this week. With John Calipari reportedly expected to depart for Arkansas, coaching search rumors connected Oats to the Kentucky opening almost immediately considering his SEC and NCAA Tournament success.

Then Monday night, Oats said something. He released the statement on his social media reaffirming he’s staying with the Crimson Tide.

"I am fully committed to this team and to this University," Oats wrote. "We have already accomplished some great things here, and there is nothing I want more than for the University of Alabama to win its first national championship in men's basketball. Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach. Roll Tide!"

That statement was the easy part. It's along the lines of what he has said all along. Those were the words. But before releasing those words, Oats had already aced the hard part of my dad's frequent phrase. Before telling the public he is committed to the Crimson Tide, Oats showed it by deciding privately to stay in Tuscaloosa with the Kentucky opening looming.

In doing so, Oats provided his clearest demonstration of loyalty to Alabama yet.

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It’s one thing to sign a contract extension, say you don’t want to leave and love it where you are. It’s another thing to prove that by not pursuing a chance to coach a basketball blue blood that could pay you top dollar with ample resources. That has always been the concern about Oats' long-term, and frankly short-term, future with the Crimson Tide — that he would leave for a college basketball blue blood when he had the chance.

Yet, with Kentucky opening up, Oats remains at Alabama.

He didn’t even use it as a leverage play with his contract. My understanding is there was no adjustment to Oats’ deal prior to him putting out the statement Monday. He wanted to stay at Alabama. Simple as that.

“I have said from day one, my family and I love this community, the city of Tuscaloosa and the University,” Oats said as part of a statement when he signed his extension in March that made him one of the four highest-paid public school men’s basketball coaches in the country.

The way his contract extension was structured, serious commitment had already been shown prior to this week. He was willing to agree to an astronomical $18 million buyout through March 31, 2026 because Alabama was willing to commit to him with a fully guaranteed deal and a raise. That already demonstrated he wanted to be in Tuscaloosa for the foreseeable future, and Alabama sought the same.

Then this week, all parties took it a step further.

The buyout was going to stop most programs from pursuing Oats, but Kentucky is among the select few with deep enough basketball pockets that wouldn’t be stopped from chasing if it wanted Oats bad enough. The buyout would have been a deterrent but not prohibitive for a program such as Kentucky.

So, Oats took his commitment to the next level, as did Alabama. While Oats demonstrated it by remaining as the Crimson Tide’s coach, UA worked behind the scenes Monday to show support for Oats and for basketball. Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne mentioned that support for Oats in a statement released right after Oats'.

“Nate and I talk regularly about the priorities of the program and NIL is at the forefront, as is a day-to-day development space for our team,” Byrne wrote as part of his statement, “which we are taking steps to address as we speak.”

Alabama will take those steps with Oats as the coach because he wants to be here for the foreseeable future. That most certainly is not talk that is cheap.

Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.