Earlier today, news broke that the University of Alabama’s Aden Holloway was recently arrested on marijuana charges equating to a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted. The basketball star risks not only criminal sentencing, but also the loss of both his athletic career and detriment to his future after this week’s arrest.
Commenting on the events surrounding Holloway, Alabama head coach Nate Oats spoke out on Monday, March 16, 2026 on the “Hey Coach” radio show. Here’s everything to know about the comments from Oats, as well as updates on the case and events surrounding Aden Holloway’s arrest.
Alabama’s Head Coach Defends The Decision To Remove Aden Holloway From The Team
GettyNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 13: Aden Holloway #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide dribbles against Kezza Giffa #13 of the Ole Miss Rebels during the first half in the quarterfinal game of the 2026 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 13, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Going into the NCAA March Madness national tournament, the University of Alabama announced that Aden Holloway had been fully removed from campus while the events of his arrest and criminal charges are investigated. Speaking further on this matter, the men’s basketball head coach, Nate Oats, opened up about the situation on his “Hey Coach” radio show.
“Look, we’ve got standards in our program. We’ve got ways we’ve held our guys accountable. We try to keep everything in-house. Obviously some of the situations you can’t. This is one of those. Situation is a little different when we found out what was going on this morning — I found out this morning,” said Oats, as reported by Mike Rodak on X.
The University of Alabama & Nate Oats Are ‘Disappointed’ in Aden Holloway’s Behavior
GettyTUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – FEBRUARY 25: Aden Holloway #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide drives around Sergej MacUra #11 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second half at Coleman Coliseum on February 25, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
Continuing with his statements, the head coach explained, “I guess it all went down this morning. We had to suspend him pending the investigation by the UA office of student conduct. We’re disappointed in his behavior. With that said, we still love him. He’s still our guy. We’re going to get him the help that he needs. … We’re preparing to play without him this weekend.”
“I thought our guys, while at the same time Aden is one of our guys and everybody wants to wrap their arms around him and love him, everybody makes some mistakes in life — but they also understand that we’ve got to move on.”
“I did tell our team, this team more than any teamâ¦
â Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) March 17, 2026
In giving some lenience and grace towards the situation and Holloway’s youthful age, Oats said, “[Everyone] makes some mistakes in life. I thought we had a really good practice [today].”
While the university removed Aden Holloway from campus, Oats opened up about how the star player has also been removed from the team and likely will continue to be excluded from athletic opportunities even if his access to campus is restored.
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