Sports
Alabama locks down Nate Oats, makes him one of highest-paid coaches
Alabama head coach Nate Oats reacts to a play against Michigan during the first half of NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 27, 2026. Alabama has agreed to a contract extension with men’s basketball coach Nate Oats that will make him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the sport, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne announced Sunday via X.
“Appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement and it will soon be formally approved through the Board process,” Byrne wrote in a statement.
“We are good! He’s not going anywhere,” Byrne wrote on his personal X account.
This is the third contract extension in four years for Oats, whose previous extension in early 2024 ran through March 2030 and was scheduled to pay him $6.02 million for the 2026-27 season.
Complete details on the new contract have yet to be announced but, according to USA Today, the five highest-paid coaches at public schools in 2024-25 each made at least $6.1 million — when Oats tied for ninth nationally with a $5 million base salary.
Oats’ impending raise should put him in the same neighborhood with Kansas’ Bill Self, Arkansas’ John Calipari, UConn’s Dan Hurley, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd. On Friday, Arizona announced a new five-year deal with Lloyd that starts at $7.2 million, presumably to keep the national Naismith Coach of the Year from leaving for the open North Carolina job.
Alabama’s rationale for a new deal could have been driven by the same fear.
“As long as we’re able to compete to win championships here — SEC, national championships. We haven’t done that here yet — I’d love to be the coach to bring us our first national championship,” Oats said March 26 when asked about potential links to the North Carolina head coaching vacancy.
“To me, there’s absolutely no reason to leave here. While it’s flattering that a high school guy that caught a couple of breaks would be mentioned with some of these jobs, because they’ve got a lot of tradition, I’m not a guy that’s looking to get out of here any time soon.”
Oats, 51, has been the head coach at Alabama since 2019 and has compiled a 170-73 record (.700) in his seven seasons. The Crimson Tide have competed in a program record-tying six straight NCAA Tournaments.
This season Alabama lost to Michigan, who will play for the National Championship on Monday, in the Sweet Sixteen.
Oats’ deepest run was when he helped lead Alabama to the Final Four as a No. 4 seed during the 2023-24 season. The Crimson Tide fell short to eventual champion UConn.
Oats has led Alabama to at least two NCAA Tournament wins in all but one of his six appearances with the school.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Amaka Agugua-Hamilton no longer coach at Virginia
Feb 22, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton calls out instructions during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images Virginia parted ways with Amaka Agugua-Hamilton as its head women’s basketball coach after four seasons.
The university announced the news Saturday about Agugua-Hamilton, who helped the Cavaliers become the initial First Four team to advance to the Sweet 16 of the Women’s NCAA Tournament after defeating seventh-seeded Georgia 82-73 in overtime in the first round, then upsetting second-seeded Iowa 83-75 in double overtime in the second round.
Virginia’s season came to an end after dropping a 79-69 decision to third-seeded TCU on March 28.
The Cavaliers, who finished 20-12 this season, posted a 70-58 record with a 29-42 mark in ACC play under Agugua-Hamilton.
The university issued a brief statement on Saturday, saying only that she will not return to the role and that a national search will begin immediately.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kelly Morrone named women's basketball coach at Albany
Dec 10, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Merrimack Warriors head coach Kelly Morrone at the end of the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images Albany announced the hiring of Kelly Morrone as the next women’s basketball head coach.
Morrone spent the past six seasons as the head coach at Merrimack, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. She was named 2026 MAAC Coach of the Year after the Warriors finished 19-13 (15-5 MAAC) and was selected to the women’s NIT. Merrimack lost to NJIT in the first round.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to accept the position of head women’s basketball coach at the University at Albany,” she said Saturday in a statement. “I’ve long admired the tradition and pride of the Great Danes, and I am deeply grateful to be entrusted with this important opportunity. It is a privilege to lead a program with such strong institutional support and a clear commitment to excellence.”
Her record at Merrimack was 74-92. During her tenure, Merrimack made the transition from Division II to Division I.
She also won 117 games at John Carroll, a Division III program in University Heights, Ohio.
Morrone played at South Carolina and was a three-year captain, her career ending with a second-round loss in the Women’s NCAA Tournament in 2003. She began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Buffalo (2005-08), followed by stops at Davidson (2008-10), Rhode Island (2010-12) and William & Mary (2012-13) before John Carroll.
At Albany, she replaces Colleen Mullen, who recently accepted the same job at Rhode Island. Mullen led the Great Danes to one NCAA Tournament berth in eight seasons, but before her arrival, Albany was a consistent winner in the America East.
The Great Danes appeared in the NCAA Tournament six consecutive seasons between 2012-17.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cubs place RHP Cade Horton (forearm) on 15-day IL
Mar 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton (22) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs placed right-handed starter Cade Horton on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right forearm strain.
The move is retroactive to Saturday for Horton, who exited Friday’s start against the host Cleveland Guardians after one-plus inning and 17 pitches.
Horton retired the side in order in the first inning before walking Kyle Manzardo on five pitches to open the second. He left the game with the Cubs’ head trainer. The Guardians went on to win 4-1.
“I had some tightness in my wrist and as the game went on, it went into my forearm,” Horton said on Friday. “I wanted to err on the cautious side and not hurt anything else. I just wanted to be smart about it and make a smart decision.”
Horton lowered his ERA to 2.45 on Friday after he yielded two runs in 6 1/3 innings in the Cubs’ 10-2 win over the Washington Nationals on March 28. It is the 24-year-old’s second season in the major leagues.
He was 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA in his rookie season.
Also on Sunday, the Cubs recalled left-hander Riley Martin from Triple-A Iowa and tabbed right-hander Ethan Roberts as the 27th man for Sunday’s doubleheader against the Guardians.
Martin, 28, has yet to pitch in a major league game. He is 24-13 with a 3.76 ERA in 174 career appearances (three starts) in the minors.
–Field Level Media
Amaka Agugua-Hamilton no longer coach at Virginia
Kelly Morrone named women's basketball coach at Albany
