Nick Saban Adds NHL Franchise To Growing Business Empire That's Pushing Him Toward Billionaire Status

Nick Saban's legacy in college football is beyond dispute. Over a 28-year head coaching career, he compiled an extraordinary 292–71–1 record and captured seven national championships, six with Alabama and one with LSU, securing his place as the most successful college coach of the modern era. During his 16 seasons leading the Crimson Tide, Nick Saban earned around $130 million in salary and bonuses, placing him among the highest-paid coaches in sports history.

You might think a résumé like that would be enough to call it a career. Apparently not for coach Saban!

While he was dominating the college football world, Nick was also quietly building a business empire that could rival his on-field success. This empire, which has nothing to do with football, will almost certainly turn him into a billionaire within the next few years. Especially if his latest investment pays off…

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Buying Into the NHL

Today, the Nashville Predators announced that Nick Saban and longtime business partner Joe Agresti had purchased a minority ownership stake in the franchise through an entity called Dream Sports Ventures LLC. The deal brought Saban and Agresti into an ownership group led by franchise chairman and majority owner Bill Haslam, the former two-term governor of Tennessee.

"Although I am now retired as a coach, I still possess a competitive nature and a great passion for sports," Saban said in a statement announcing the deal. "Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal."

The valuation and size of Nick and Joe's investment were not revealed. Prior to their investment, the team was worth $1.6 billion, up from $1.3 billion just a year earlier. If Nick and Joe bought a 10% stake at that $1.6 billion valuation, that means they just ponied up a combined $160 million. Even if they bought a smaller stake, how on earth could a former college football coach, even one who earned $130 million, afford to put up that much cash to purchase part of an NHL team??? Glad you asked.

The Dream Motor Group Foundation

Long before he bought into an NHL team, Saban had already positioned himself as a serious businessman. In 2013, he partnered with Joe Agresti, an auto industry executive who had built a reputation as one of the most disciplined and data-driven dealership operators in the country. Their partnership led to the creation of Dream Motor Group, which has since grown into one of the most successful luxury auto dealer networks in the southeastern United States.

Dream Motor Group now operates dealerships across Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, and Florida, selling Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, and Infiniti vehicles. In 2023, the company made headlines with a roughly $700 million acquisition of two Miami-area Mercedes-Benz dealerships, a deal that included the underlying real estate and significantly expanded the group's footprint.

In 2025, Dream Motor Group was reportedly on pace to generate close to $2 billion in annual revenue, placing it firmly in rarefied territory for privately held dealership groups.

Dream Motor Group currently owns and operates the following dealerships:

• Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham (Irondale, Alabama)
• Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge (Louisiana)
• Mercedes-Benz of The Woodlands (Texas)
• Mercedes-Benz of Music City (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables (Florida)
• Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay (Florida)
• Ferrari of Nashville
• Infiniti of Hoover (Alabama)

While Dream Motor Group is privately held and does not publish financials, there is one key data point that provides insight into its value: Joe Agresti's personal net worth. Based on the value of Dream Motor Group, Joe Agresti's net worth is $1.1 billion.

Based on that number, we can do some napkin math. If Agresti owns 50% of the business, Dream Motor Group would be worth around $2.2 billion. If his ownership is closer to 70% or 80%, the implied valuation would still land between $1.4 billion and $1.6 billion.

Under any of those scenarios, Nick Saban's stake is extremely valuable. A 10% ownership interest could be worth anywhere from $140 million to more than $220 million. A 20% stake could range from $280 million to $440 million. And if  Saban owns closer to 30%, his share could approach $600 million or more at current valuations.

From Coach to Sports Owner

The Nashville Predators investment adds a new layer to Saban's portfolio. It also fits neatly alongside Dream Motor Group's existing presence in Nashville, where the company already operates two high-profile dealerships: Mercedes-Benz of Music City and Ferrari of Nashville.

If, through a mix of exceptional execution and extraordinary luck, Dream Motor Group's valuation ever climbs to $3 billion — and if Nick truly owns a 30% stake — his share alone would be worth around $900 million. Combined with the money he earned coaching and his NHL investment, there's a very real possibility Nick Saban will be a billionaire at some point in the next few years.

For Nick Saban, the championships are already secured. Now, quietly and methodically, he's building something that could last even longer than his football dynasty.