“And we all know that every one issues work collectively for good to those that love God, to those that are the known as in line with His function.” —Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

The morning of Jan. 15 didn’t begin in typical trend for Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats.

His usually Sunday morning routine consists of breakfast, then preparing alongside together with his spouse and three daughters to move to church. After church comes getting ready for the staff’s subsequent sport, together with movie examine, conferences with assistant coaches after which observe that afternoon.

For Oats, although, his Sunday was fully derailed by a cellphone name.

“I obtained a name Sunday morning that alerted me to what was happening, and I instantly known as Greg [Byrne], and we began placing our plan in place collectively to deal with conditions like this,” Oats stated.

Darius Miles, a junior ahead for the Crimson Tide, had been arrested and charged with capital homicide. One other man with no connection to Alabama, Michael Lynn Davis, was additionally charged and subsequently arrested. Whereas particulars have arisen since that point which have offered extra readability of what occurred within the state of affairs, the sensation that Oats skilled in that second won’t ever change.

Shock.

There are a lot of issues {that a} coach can by no means put together for. Deaths of gamers and relations together with diseases are a few of the dealings {that a} coach should put together to deal with, however will hope to by no means must expertise. No matter how a lot a coach may be ready to deal with a state of affairs, it’s at all times a shock.

For Oats, it was no completely different. A 23-year-old mom in Jamea Jonae Harris was useless, forsaking her five-year-old son, Kaine. No matter how he dealt with the matter, these had been the details, chilly and easy.

Miles was instantly faraway from the staff and expelled from the College of Alabama. Inside hours, his participant bio had been faraway from the Crimson Tide’s web site. All file of Miles having ever attended Alabama was seemingly wiped away.

However simply because an individual’s data are eliminated does not imply that recollections and ache go away. And for Oats, the dealing with of the state of affairs had solely simply begun.

The standard staff assembly was pushed again till Oats and his workers may present strong solutions to their gamers. On the assembly, the gamers opted to cancel that day’s observe — a lot of whom hadn’t slept since first studying of Miles’ arrest.

On Monday afternoon, Oats held his scheduled pregame press convention. Did he must host the press convention? No, and it will have been fully comprehensible had the Crimson Tide opted to skip that week’s assembly with the media. Nonetheless, Oats took to the stand and delivered a message within the crowded media room to not simply these current, however to followers and anybody on the market grieving the state of affairs.

“I’ve obtained three daughters,” Oats stated. “It went by means of my thoughts how simply it may have been one in every of mine, robust state of affairs. I talked to Darius’ mom a number of instances yesterday— very arduous state of affairs on each accounts. We simply proceed to wish for Jamea and her household. I didn’t know them, however they’re actually in our ideas and prayers. And persevering with to wish for Darius’ state of affairs too.

“It’s simply an unlucky incident that I want we weren’t having to take care of as we speak.”

Ideas and prayers. These phrases have turn out to be related to virtually each tragedy, no matter how large or small. Whereas some would possibly see the phrase as having turn out to be a cliche in current time, the feelings behind these three phrases are nonetheless usually utilized in real regard for these in want.

For Oats and Alabama basketball, ideas and prayers had been wanted. Not only for Harris and her household, however for themselves.

The staff was compelled to maneuver on rapidly, although. And in doing so, the staff traveled to Nashville, Tenn., to face its subsequent opponent in Vanderbilt on Tuesday evening. The sport was clearly an emotional one for the Crimson Tide, even after it defeated the Commodores 78-66.

“I didn’t see a ton of emotion pregame essentially,” Oats stated. “I did see some guys break down postgame. I believe they’d been bottling some stuff up. We’ve obtained a job to do. We’ve gotta get to the sport. Obtained to the sport, took care of enterprise after which it’s virtually like an enormous aid. The sport’s over and we may set free a sigh of aid. However I believe the blokes nonetheless wanted a while.

“They’re gonna want a number of time. Guys have been utilizing the sources with the college, with the advisors. I believe extra of them will see some counselors tomorrow. But it surely’s a tough state of affairs for guys to undergo. I believed guys obtained themselves locked in, able to go. It’s virtually like let’s use basketball as just a little little bit of a launch, if that is sensible. After which I simply suppose postgame it obtained just a little bit extra emotional than pregame.”

Simply previous to Alabama’s sport at Vanderbilt, Oats detailed that he had reached out to former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis relating to recommendation on the state of affairs. Throughout his time within the NFL, Lewis was arrested together with two different males in January of 2000, charged with the murders of two males that had been stabbed outdoors of an Atlanta nightclub.

Lewis’ homicide cost was dropped months later after he pled responsible to obstruction of justice. The 2 different males charged had been additionally later acquitted.

Oats stated that he contacted Lewis by means of his daughter, Diaymon Lewis, who’s a current graduate of Alabama. Through the cellphone name, Oats stated that Ray suggested him to share the Bible and pray together with his gamers.

“The passage learn, ‘To people who love God, all issues work collectively for good,’” Oats stated. “This clearly doesn’t seem like there’s any good in it, however we’re making an attempt to make use of it to deliver the staff nearer collectively. It’s a tragic state of affairs. We really feel terrible for any a part of what anyone in our program needed to do with it, however we’re making an attempt our greatest to study throughout the group, make higher decisions.”

The verse cited was Romans 8:28, a verse usually utilized by Christians in instances of bother or the place a tragedy won’t have an evidence. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, the verse addresses not simply the nice through the current lifetime of Christians, however finally the life that comes afterward — that it doesn’t matter what sick befalls you, God can use it for Christians’ everlasting profit. That may both be saving these affected by tragedies, but additionally sending these by means of tragedies so as to draw them nearer to Him.

And in Alabama basketball’s time of disaster and tragedy, Oats utilized the verse and shared it together with his staff.

“I’m a believer, so a number of prayer, a number of scripture studying simply to determine what to inform the staff,” Oats informed SEC Community after the sport at Vanderbilt. “I’ve shared with them just a few passages. We predict you possibly can study from it. Hopefully our guys sooner or later make higher decisions. Hopefully you don’t must study from your individual errors, hopefully you possibly can study from different individuals’s errors.

“The basketball aspect of it turned actually, actually unimportant for some time there, however the basketball aspect of it additionally offers us one thing the place our staff can pull collectively.”

Whether or not you consider within the Bible or not, Oats’ sharing of scripture with the staff has had a profound affect. And the sharing of verses did not cease on Tuesday.

Throughout his press convention on Friday forward of the staff’s journey to Missouri, Oats revealed one other story from the Bible that he had shared together with his staff.

“I learn the blokes a passage this morning on Joseph from The Phrase,” Oats stated. “[…] Totally different guys processing issues in a different way and guys that had been tighter to Darius clearly are taking a few of it just a little more durable, however I believe general the staff’s — generally you utilize these cases to tug a bunch tighter collectively.

“I believe our guys, they’ve to return tighter collectively due to what they’ve been by means of.”

Within the Guide of Genesis, Joseph was crushed and bought into slavery by his brothers. He was then thrown into jail because of false accusations. After years in jail, he was launched and delivered to Pharaoh in Egypt, the place he ended up turning into one in every of his most trusted advisors and helped save the nation from famine.

Amongst these saved had been his family. What his brothers initially meant for evil, God used for good (Genesis 50:20).

Final Saturday, Alabama took its journey to face Missouri. In his three journeys to play the Tigers in ‘CoMo’, Oats and the Crimson Tide had didn’t deliver dwelling a win. The narrative modified that day, although, as Alabama defeated Missouri 85-64. The win improved the Crimson Tide to 7-0 in SEC play and a 17-2 general file on the season.

After the sport, Oats stated that he could not be prouder with the psychological resiliency that his staff had proven, not simply over the course of the sport however your complete week as an entire.

“Actually proud,” Oats stated. “A number of mentally robust guys which might be in a position to concentrate on what they should concentrate on and nonetheless have compassion for the entire state of affairs, to be trustworthy with you. I believe our guys, even earlier than the sport, we type of gathered collectively. Noah Gurley leads the staff in a prayer. We prayed for the individuals concerned within the state of affairs and prayed for us to have the ability to focus, and I believe they did a superb job.”

Alabama basketball nonetheless has a protracted strategy to go earlier than it removes itself from the state of affairs totally. For the rest of the season, Miles’ actions — no matter whether or not or not he is discovered harmless or responsible when the trial finally takes place — will comply with the staff wherever it goes.

Oats is effectively conscious of that, although, and has taken all the precautions. By his management over the previous week, he has laid a strong basis of serving to his gamers take care of the struggles. Whether or not it’s by means of counseling, advisement or prayer, the avenues have been introduced to take care of the shock and grief ensuing from the state of affairs.

For Alabama, no coach may have dealt with the ordeal with extra grace than Oats. He has by no means as soon as shied away from a query, a press convention — something. And reply after well-thought reply, he proves why he was meant to be the coach of the Crimson Tide.

Efficiency and outcomes on the court docket usually overshadow the character and management of coaches, however for Oats, he has succeeded in each over his first 4 seasons in Tuscaloosa. With the potential of a brand new enviornment and the rising model of Crimson Tide hoops, Oats can proceed to be an integral a part of the staff’s progress — not simply on the court docket, however off it as effectively.

Can proceed to be an integral half? No. Ought to proceed to be an integral half. Coaches like Oats do not come round usually, and Alabama Athletics’ management ought to actually be aware of the gem that they’ve at present teaching Crimson Tide basketball.

See Additionally:

A Week the Alabama Crimson Tide Will By no means Neglect: All Issues CW

Full-Courtroom Press: Takeaways from Alabama Basketball at Missouri

No. 4 Alabama Doesn’t Need to Depend on Brandon Miller Each Night time