Michigan Roots Fuel Alabama's Coach in Sweet Sixteen

On March 24, as Alabama's 4-seed basketball team gears up for a sweet 16-clash with one

seed Michigan, head coach Nate Oates has deep.

Michigan roots that add extra flavor to the match-up.

The Wisconsin native started his coaching journey right here in the state, teaching math

and leading the boys basketball team at Romulus High School, from 2002 to 2013.

Oates transformed Romulus into a powerhouse, posting a 222 win, 52 loss record over 11 seasons

and delivering their first.

State title win boys basketball since 1986 in his final year.

He earned coach of the year honors that season, and even boasted a 100% graduation rate

for his players.

From there, Oates jumped to college ball as an assistant at Buffalo in 2013, becoming head

coach two years later.

He took the bulls to the NCAA tournament three times in four seasons, including a six

seed in 2019 with a 32 and four record, plus upsets over higher seeds like Arizona and

his old boss Bobby Hurley.

At Alabama since 2019, Oates has racked up a 170 win, 72 loss mark, making the tournament

six straight years, and landing the program's first ever number one overall seed in 2023,

though they fell in the final four.

His overall college record stands at 266 wins, and 115 losses entering this game.

With that kind of rise from high school gyms to national stages, Oates's path shows how

one Michigan stop launched a coaching dynasty now testing itself.

It's the Wolverines in Chicago.