Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats recently revealed that a coach from a rival program showed a heartfelt gesture to his former player, Charles Bediako. On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Oats and his Crimson Tide team faced coach Chris Beard’s Ole Miss Rebels on the latter’s home court, the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.
During the post-game press conference, Oats said that Beard handed a note to him that was meant for Bediako. This is because a recent court ruling denied Bediako’s injunction to continue playing in the collegiate hoops campaign. Oats did not reveal the content of Beard’s letter, but commended his fellow tactician for it.
“Then he said, ‘I also got something I want you to give him.’ And he handed, he came to our shootaround last night, handed me a note that I kind of opened, took a picture, sent it to Charles. I’ll give it to him in person when we get back. It was one of the most classy notes to a kid from an opposing coach, and it doesn’t happen often. But one of the classiest moves I’ve ever seen,” Oats revealed.
“And he didn’t do it to get any recognition, and that’s not, he assumed, I’ve just handed it to Charles B,” he continued.
Fortunately for Oats and his Crimson Tide team, they beat Beard and the Mississippi-based program, 93-74. This was the team’s first game after Bediako was disallowed from playing for Alabama. Oats and company will now look to adjust their game plan now that they are without the stalwart. So far in the 2025-26 campaign, the Crimson Tide have an overall record of 17-7 (7-4 SEC).
Read More: Charles Bediako Eligibility Update: NCAA Make Major Decision to Affect Alabama Star’s College Career
Nate Oats Said That Chris Beard Also Made Sure That The Ole Miss Rebels Crowd Was Respectful
Also in his post-game press conference following his and his team’s win over the Ole Miss Rebels, Nate Oats revealed that Chris Beard made sure that the Rebels faithful kept their cheers and chants respectful.
This is because throughout the time when Charles Bediako was playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide, the program was met with hounds of heckles and boos at every away arena they played in.
“So on my drive, we drove over on to Boston. I drive over yesterday afternoon, I get a call from Coach Beard. You know, Oats, Beard. He’s like, “Hey, you know.’ I said, ‘What’s up?’ He goes, ‘Is Bediako with you?’ I said, ‘No, we decided to leave him home. You know, we didn’t want him to have to go through the stuff he’s had to go through on the road,” Oats shared.
“And he said, ‘Look, I assure you that’s not happening here. I’ve already met with the cheering section. Everything’s gonna be positive here. He won’t get any of that here.’ So major respect to him for that,” he concluded.
Also Read: Ole Miss Faithful Sing Keith Carter’s Praises as Cheeky 3-Word Message Confirms Chris Beard’s Future
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