Rob Dauster

uh the it's his first year right you want that honeymoon phase back because i think that that helps everybody involved but um if that decision ends up getting made right i think the key is going to end up being who can you get you don't want to have this be a situation where you move on and then you're stuck going down the list of trying to find somebody to replace him right like i think about what happened with north carolina

where they move on from hubert davis and it's like you got this list and it's like nate oats and tommy lloyd and dusty may and all of these different names and everyone just kind of says like tj otzelberger um uh billy donovan like you just go down the list and it's just like thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks and you just keep getting told no and eventually you get to a point where you make a hire and everyone's just kind of like is this is

Is this really the right move?

So I think that's what you have to avoid if you ever move on from Mark Pope.

And to me, correct me if I'm wrong, there is no clear option.

There is no like, hey, listen, when we make this move, this is the guy we're going to go get.

People are going to say Nate Oates now.

Rob, Rob, let me stop you.

People are going to say the name Nate Oates now if they make a move.

Now say this, Nate Oates just signed a new deal.

an extension in which the buyout is really high.

I don't think Nate Oates moves anywhere after this coming season.

I think two, three, four years down the road,

Possibly.

I don't think he moves anywhere this coming season, even if it's Kentucky to work for his former, I don't know, boss is the right word, with J-Bat.

But that's going to be the name that is thrown around at the end of the year if things go awry.

And again, I don't think things are going to go in the direction they went the first half of last season again this year.

But if they do, that's the name we're going to hear over and over and over.

And I don't think it's very realistic that Nate Oates leaves Alabama after this season anywhere.

Well, let me ask you this then when it comes to this, since we're on the topic, right?