UA, Nate Oats Issue Statement on Assistant Coach’s Departure
Early on Tuesday, news broke that Charlie Henry would be leaving the University of Alabama men's basketball team in order to become the next head coach at Georgia Southern University.
Henry has been instrumental in helping Nate Oats develop his culture of hard nose, blue collar defense on the hardwood, something that has kept Alabama alive against quality opponents when shots just aren't falling.
Oats and the University of Alabama issued a statement Tuesday regarding Henry's departure.
"Charlie has been more than ready to become a head coach, and I think Georgia Southern made a terrific choice in hiring him to lead their men's basketball program. I've known Charlie for almost 15 years, and he has one of the sharpest basketball minds out there. He is also a tremendous leader who knows how to develop players. I've personally grown a lot as a coach working with him. He's helped build our program at Alabama into what it is today and oversees our defense, which has finished in the nation's top three most efficient defenses in two of the last three years. I do not doubt that he'll do an outstanding job," said Oats.
"On top of all that, he is a great family man that will represent Georgia Southern University and the community well. I couldn't be happier for Charlie, his wife Teisha, and their children, Nash and Dixie Grace."
Georgia Southern shared a statement from Henry himself on the hire and his excitement for the opportunity.
"I want to thank Dr. Kyle Marrero and the search committee of Jared Benko, Chris Davis, Reggie Simpkins and Leonard Bevill for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead the Georgia Southern basketball program. Georgia Southern is a special institution with a beautiful campus, a passionate fan base, and is supported by the tight-knit Statesboro community. We will give maximum effort to ensure success in the extremely-competitive Sun Belt Conference, and our program will be a source of pride for the University and the region, both on and off the court," said Henry.
Henry will remain with the Tide as far into the NCAA Tournament as they are able to make it.