Alabama’s Herbert Jones was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, while Nate Oats was tabbed the league’s Coach of the Year, as the league office announced the 2021 postseason awards on Tuesday.
In addition to those honors, John Petty Jr. joined Jones as All-SEC First Team honorees, while Jaden Shackelford earned All-SEC Second Team recognition. Joshua Primo became the fifth straight UA rookie to earn a spot on the league’s all-freshman team, while Jones was also one of five named as an all-defensive team performer, earning the accolade for a second consecutive year.
Jones and Oats become the first Alabama duo to sweep the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year since Mark Gottfried and Erwin Dudley achieved the feat in 2002. Jones is the first Alabama player to earn the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor and is just the third player in SEC history to sweep both the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards, joining Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2011-12) and Tyler Ulis (2015-16).
Both Jones (National Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year) and Oats (National Coach of the Year) are semifinalists for Naismith Trophy postseason awards, which will be announced during the Final Four on April 4, 2021.
Nate Oats, SEC Coach of the Year
- After finishing last season with a 16-15 record and 8-10 mark in SEC play, Oats has guided Alabama to a 21-6 overall record in 2020-21 and a 16-2 mark in Southeastern Conference play in his second season at the Capstone
- The Tide clinched the program’s first regular season title in 19 years since earning the 2002 regular season crown
- The 16 league wins tied for the most in program history (1986-87 team finished SEC play 16-2)
- Alabama’s 10-game winning streak earlier in the year was the longest in 25 years dating back to the 1996-97 campaign
- Owns an overall record of 37-21 (.638) across his two years at UA and a 24-12 (.667) mark against SEC competition
