WATCH: Alabama HC Nate Oats recaps childhood memories to finally realizing his life-long dream of making Final Four in 2024
Alabama coach Nate Oats credits recording and collecting "One Shining Moment" videos on VHS tapes for inspiring his dream of coaching basketball and leading a team to the NCAA Tournament's Final Four.
Oats fulfilled that dream on Saturday, helping the Crimson Tide reach their first-ever Final Four appearance with an 89-82 win over the Clemson Tigers in the Elite Eight at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
In a post-game interview, Oats recaps his childhood memories.
"When I was a kid, a big basketball fan - I'm going to date myself - you had VHS tapes. I had every one of those 'Shining Moments' labeled on a VHS tape so I could go back and watch that thing all summer," he said.
"One Shining Moment," written by David Barrett, debuted during the 1987 NCAA Tournament. It plays at the conclusion of CBS and TBS broadcasts of the national championship, coinciding with the cutting of the nets by the winning team. The song accompanies a video montage showcasing tournament highlights.
Oats admitted that those VHS tapes helped him develop his dream of leading a team into the Final Four.
"Then you start to grow up in the coaching profession and you just want to be at the Final Four, be in the hotel lobby so I can see the big-name coaches that are there. And somehow I caught enough breaks I'm coaching in one, which is unreal. Give hope to a lot of high school coaches tonight, that's for sure," the 49-year old coach said.
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Alabama HC Nate Oats enjoys the feeling of making it to the Final Four
When asked about the feeling of accomplishing his dream, Oats replied:
"I don't know if it's truly hit me yet. Probably won't hit me until after the Final Four is over because I'm going to enjoy it tonight."
Oats also talked about Alabama's Final Four opponents, defending champion UConn. He took note of the Huskies' 30-0 run against Illinois that led to a 77-52 victory and a trip to the Final Four.
"We've got to figure out how to beat UConn. They went on a 30-0 run I heard tonight. Is that correct? That's unheard of in the Elite Eight. That's crazy," he said.
The Crimson Tide and the Huskies will meet on Saturday at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
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