Nick Saban Joins NHL Franchise Ownership Group

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, both during his time in Tuscaloosa, and now in the years after, has had his hand in many different successful business ventures. While he is most recognized for his seven time national champion status as a coach, Saban has also made many savvy moves off the field.

He is the co-owner of Dream Motor Group, a network of luxury automotive dealerships in Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana and Florida, and according to Forbes, is on pace to become the first billionaire former coach in history.

Now, Saban is looking to spread his championship pedigree to other sports, most notably a Nashville based NHL franchise. On Tuesday, December 16, per a press release from the Nashville Predators, Nick Saban, along with his Dream Motor Group partner Joe Agresti, purchased a minority stake in the team, and have joined the ranks of professional sports owners.

Smashville just got that much better 👏

Nick Saban and partner Joe Agresti have joined the #Preds ownership group via Dream Sports Ventures LLC with a minority stake in the franchise!

📝 » https://t.co/6Y5EK0I6qA pic.twitter.com/1FXqW4O5tx
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 16, 2025

Predators chairman Bill Haslam said, "I am really looking forward to having Coach Nick Saban and Joe Agresti as a part of our ownership group. [Saban] is one of the all-time greats in college football history and one of the winningest coaches in all of sports. We are excited to have him join us in our pursuit of championships on the ice in Nashville."

The Predators, who began play in 1998 as an expansion team, have seen limited success in their 27 year run. The franchise holds just two division championships, a single conference championship and has lost its only appearance in the Stanley Cup, falling in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017.

Saban, who brings his own aforementioned championship pedigree, said, per the team's press release, "Although I am now retired as a coach, I still possess a competitive nature and a great passion for sports."

He continued, "Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal and the opportunity to partner in the Predators with a class act like Bill Haslam created the perfect scenario for us. The Preds are a great organization with a fantastic brand, and we are excited to be part of the future success of the franchise."

So far this year, the Predators are below .500, sitting at 13-15 as the midpoint of the season draws near. While it appears unlikely that Saban's influence as minority owner will drastically alter the path of the franchise, he has shown his ability to build up a program before, and could utilize some of the same tactics in Nashville.

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