NASHVILLE — Since he was 9 years old, legendary football coach Nick Saban has always been a part of a team.
After retiring from coaching at the University of Alabama in January of 2024, Saban has found his new team in the Nashville Predators.
Saban, who controls Dream Sports Ventures LLC along with business partner Joe Agresti, purchased a minority ownership stake in the Predators, it was announced Dec. 16. He said Monday that his primary motivation is being a part of a team and helping it develop habits that lead to winning.
“It’s more about the challenge of how can we help the team rebuild, get better, have a chance to compete for a championship?” said Saban, 74. “I think when you do that, all the other things sort of come with it. That’s the goal. That’s the excitement. That’s the reason that I’m here today.”
Saban is widely regarded as the greatest college football coach of all time, with a record of 297-71-1 in 28 seasons. He won seven national championships — six at Alabama and one at Louisiana State University — the most of any coach in the sport in the modern era.
Saban also has worked in the NFL, spending four seasons as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns from 1991-94 and two seasons as coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06. He’s hoping his years of experience with building teams will be an asset for the Predators.
“What it takes to be successful is really pretty much the same in business as it is in sports, as it is in hockey, as it is in football in terms of, how do you build an organization that has the best chance to be successful?” Saban said. “It’s not about how you change lines or set lines or whatever you do when the game starts. That’s up to the coach, which I’m not qualified to be a coach in hockey. I am qualified to support the coach and help him provide the leadership to help his players maybe develop the kind of psychological disposition and competitive character to go out and play and be more successful because of it.”