Three coaches with roots in the high school ranks are coaching in the Final Four this weekend. Nate Oats, who started his coaching career at Romulus High School outside of Detroit, was hired as an assistant by Bobby Hurley at Buffalo in 2013. Another coach, Dan Hurley, got his start at Saint Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey before leading UConn to a national championship last season. Kevin Keatts, the N.C. State coach, spent time at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia in his formative years as a coach.
Matt Painter from Purdue is the only Final Four coach with college-only experience, starting at Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. Despite this, Keatts acknowledges the value of high school coaches, emphasizing their dedication to the game for the love of it, rather than for financial gain. Hurley, who attributes his coaching success to a competitive upbringing and teaching experience, believes that the opportunity at the high school level allows for the development of coaching skills without the pressure of college coaching.
Keatts also started his coaching career at the high school level before moving on to college coaching, with Hargrave’s success reflecting on his capabilities as a coach. His time at Hargrave gave him valuable insight into the recruiting process and shaped his coaching philosophy. Oats, who had a successful coaching career at Romulus High School, used that time to experiment with different coaching styles, setting the foundation for his success at Alabama.
Oats highlights the benefits of his coaching route, which allowed him to gain experience in various aspects of coaching that many college coaches may not have. The lower pressure environment at the high school level allowed him to take risks without fear of being let go, ultimately contributing to his coaching success at the collegiate level. The success of these coaches with high school coaching backgrounds in the Final Four demonstrates the value of their unique coaching paths and the impact it has had on their careers.
