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Jeff Goodman, ESPN Insider 9y

Buffalo replaces Bobby Hurley with top assistant Nate Oats

Buffalo Bulls

Buffalo has replaced Bobby Hurley with Nate Oats, the school announced Saturday.

Oats had been Hurley's top assistant for the past two seasons as the Bulls won the MAC East title in 2014 and went to the NCAA tournament this past season.

"After hours of conversations with Nate, it became very clear to me that the best candidate to lead our men's basketball team was already on campus," athletic director Danny White said in a statement released by the school. "Nate has tremendous experience as one of the finest coaches in America at both the collegiate and high school levels, and played an absolutely critical role in elevating our program."

Hurley left for Arizona State earlier this week. Oats is a former head coach at Romulus High in Michigan, where he was 222-52 in his tenure. He also recruited the MAC Player of the Year Justin Moss -- who will be a senior next season. The Bulls will return five of their top six scorers.

"I have witnessed the potential of not only our team, but the entire athletic department over the last two years," Oats said. "We are starting to establish a great tradition of success here."

Oats played basketball at Maranatha Baptist University in Wisconsin. Oats then spent two seasons as an assistant at Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Division III school where Lance Leipold coached football before being hired by Buffalo in December.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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