"Just in the wrong place at the wrong time": Fans react to Nate Oats' burst of anger as Alabama HC smashes clipboard during Missouri game
No. 4 Alabama coach Nate Oats had an outburst during the second quarter of his team's 110-98 loss to No. 15 Missouri at Mizzou Arena on Wednesday night. In a video circulating on social media, Oats was seen slamming his clipboard to the floor when his assistant handed it to him, causing it to break into pieces.
The incident took place when Missouri was leading 42-28 with 5:14 remaining in the first half. Oats received a technical foul and fans on social media shared their opinions on his angry reaction:
"That clipboard was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," one tweeted.
"He KILLED that clipboard," another wrote.
Some recalled the incident when Oats pushed a Missouri player during last year's game:
"He couldn't find an opposing player to push so he had to punch the clipboard," one added.
"Missouri always gets him riled up lol. I remember last year he shoved one of their players," a fan commented.
Others suggested that Missouri star Caleb Grill's performance on the night led to Oats venting his frustration on the clipboard:
"The Caleb Grill effect, I’m afraid," one wrote.
"What Caleb Grill does to a man," a user tweeted.
Grill posted 25 points and a team-high 10 rebounds along with three assists to help Missouri beat Alabama.
Nate Oats addresses Alabama's shortcomings after loss to Missouri
In the post-game press conference, Alabama coach Nate Oats said that his team did not do enough defensively to keep Missouri at bay.
“Obviously, not one of our best defensive games," Oats said. "You’ve gotta give them a bunch of credit. They came out ready to go. Starting 12-0, scored 18 before the first media. Getting our guys ready to go is part of my job as a head coach, and I didn’t do a very good job of that tonight. We didn’t start the game out well."
The Tide (21-5, 10-3 Southeastern Conference) have now suffered back-to-back defeats. However, Alabama will look to close out the season on a high before entering the NCAA Tournament.
The Tide have a tricky run of fixtures in the coming weeks, including games against ranked opponents like Kentucky, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Florida and Auburn.