Assistant Austin Claunch Leaving Alabama Basketball To Be UTSA Head Coach

The Nate Oats coaching tree grows after Claunch spent one season in Tuscaloosa as an assistant.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama assistant basketball coach Austin Claunch will be leaving Tuscaloosa to take the head coaching job at UTSA, according to multiple reports. He went to high school in Houston, and now returns to his home state. 

Claunch spent one season with the Crimson Tide, joining Nate Oats' staff during the 2023 offseason. Prior to his time at Alabama, he served as the head coach at Nicholls State of the Southland Conference for five seasons from 2018-2023.

He was officially announced as the new head coach on Sunday, but after Alabama's section to the NCAA Tournament, Oats confirmed that Claunch plans to stay with the Crimson Tide throughout its tournament run.

"He's definitely sticking around with us," Oats said. "This is his first tournament he's been in. He wants to make a run."

This will be the fourth Alabama assistant under Oats to leave for a head coaching position, joining all three assistant coaches from Oats' 2022-23 staff: Bryan Hodgson at Arkansas State, Antoine Pettway at Kennesaw State, and Charlie Henry at Georgia Southern. 

Claunch has a career coaching record of 90-61, and was a 2-time regular season champion of the Southland while he was at Nicholls. 

“Austin is one of the hardest working guys in the business,” Oats said of Claunch after he was hired last April. “His work as a head coach at Nicholls was unbelievable with one of the lowest budgets in the country. He has won two out of the last three regular season championships in the Southland Conference and that is a credit to his hard work and his energy. Austin has a bright young mind and will help out our program in many ways. Not only is he a tireless recruiter and will help us with game planning but he is also a great person who will develop great relationships with our players and have a positive impact in our community.”

Claunch will now run a UTSA program that recently parted ways with 8-year head coach Steve Henson. The Roadrunners have not made an NCAA Tournament since 2011.

Alabama Basketball Receives 4-Seed in NCAA Tournament