CLEVELAND -- Men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats and UB agreed to a new five-year deal just hours after the Bulls’ MAC tournament quarterfinal win against Akron.
The new contract will run through 2024 and make Oats the highest-paid coach in the Mid-American Conference and the highest-paid employee at the university.
Oats’ new annual salary is $837,000 with a base salary of $612,000 and $225,000 raised through philanthropic gifts designated to the men’s basketball program, according to a UB Athletics press release.
Buffalo is in the midst of one of its best seasons in school history and has already eclipsed the mark for most wins in a season with 29. Oats has been named the MAC coach of the year the past two seasons and has had the Bulls in the Associated Press Top-25 poll for a MAC record 18-straight weeks. Oats is currently a finalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year.
"Our family and our coaching staff are extremely thankful for the appreciation shown for the job we have done by President Tripathi, Mark Alnutt, and the entire administration at UB," said Oats in a UB Athletics press release. "The support from our community, fans and boosters has been nothing short of incredible. We love it in Buffalo and look forward to continuing to build on what we have going here."
Oats has the highest-winning percentage of any coach in program history, currently sitting at 92-42 for his career. He is also the fastest coach to reach 90 victories.
Oats will now be the highest-paid public employee in New York State.
This is a developing story
Nathaniel Mendelson is the senior sports editor and can be reached at Nathaniel.Mendelson@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @NateMendelson
