A graduate of Albany High School in Georgia,[1] Oates played college football at Brigham Young University (BYU), originally entering in 1977 before serving an 2-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Las Vegas, Nevada then later joining the Cougars football team.
[2] Oates earned a BS in accounting from the Marriott School of Business there in 1985,[3] and he was inducted into the BYU athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.
He worked in New Jersey with the firms of Ribis Graham and Curtin in Morristown, Raymond Koski and Associates in Fort Lee and the real estate company Gale and Wentworth in Florham Park.
He also spent time helping out as the line coach at Seton Hall Preparatory School earlier in the decade.
He currently serves as the Bishop (lay Pastor) of the Morristown 1st Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and as the Executive Director of CIT International, promoting partnerships of law enforcement with mental health resources.