GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Nate Oats, a Final Four coach with roots in the high school ranks, initially found comfort coaching at Romulus High School outside of Detroit. Despite envisioning himself as a Division I college coach, Oats built a successful program at Romulus and was hesitant to uproot his family for a potentially short-lived college coaching job. The legendary career of Bob Hurley at St. Anthony in New Jersey further solidified Oats' contentment at Romulus, as Hurley's enduring success as a high school coach showcased the fulfillment possible in that role.
Oats' opportunity to transition to college coaching arose in 2013 when he caught the eye of then-Rhode Island assistant Bobby Hurley, who later hired him as an assistant at Buffalo. Oats now joins two other Final Four coaches with high school coaching backgrounds: Dan Hurley, who started at Saint Benedict's Prep, and Kevin Keatts, who had stints at Hargrave Military Academy. Matt Painter of Purdue is the sole Final Four coach with a college-only coaching experience.
