From the gridiron to the ice rink: legendary coach Nick Saban sets his sights on helping the Nashville Predators capture the coveted Stanley Cup! After a storied career dominating college football, the iconic coach is bringing his winning mindset to a new arena.
Since the tender age of 9, Nick Saban has been immersed in the world of teams. Now, following his retirement from coaching at the University of Alabama in January 2024, he's joined forces with the Nashville Predators. Saban, along with his business partner Joe Agresti through Dream Sports Ventures LLC, acquired a minority ownership stake in the Predators, as announced on December 16th. His primary aim? To cultivate the habits that lead to victory.
"It's more about the challenge of how can we help the team rebuild, get better, have a chance to compete for a championship?" Saban, now 74, explained. "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's legacy is undeniable. He's widely regarded as the greatest college football coach of all time, boasting a remarkable record of 297-71-1 across 28 seasons. His trophy cabinet includes seven national championships – six with Alabama and one with Louisiana State University – the most in the modern era of the sport.
But here's where it gets interesting... Saban's experience isn't limited to college football. He's also spent time in the NFL, serving as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns from 1991-94 and as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06. He's now eager to leverage his extensive experience in building successful teams to benefit 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 stated. "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."
And this is the part most people miss... While Saban won't be involved in the day-to-day hockey decisions, he plans to assist players and coaches behind the scenes.
"My success probably was more about helping people be successful," Saban shared. "In other words, I wanted everybody in the organization to have goals and aspirations and I wanted to help them define what they had to do to do it and provide the leadership to help them to do it. So if we can get everybody in this organization playing like a champion, we might have a chance to win a championship. That’s something I’ll always try to promote with our players and the people in our organization."
The Predators, currently in their 27th NHL season, have yet to hoist the Stanley Cup. Their closest brush with glory was a six-game loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. They haven't won a playoff series since 2018.
Saban's interest in the Predators was sparked by attending a Cup Final game. Owning businesses in the Nashville area, he saw the Predators as a great opportunity to get involved in the NHL.
"To have the opportunity to be partners with [Nashville chairman and majority owner Bill Haslam], a successful organization with a great brand like the Predators, was really something that was appealing to us and an opportunity that we were so excited to be able to take advantage of," Saban said. "I’m no expert in hockey, so don’t look at me like I’m going to make some huge impact in coaching around here because that’s not going to happen. But I do have a pretty good idea of what it takes to have successful organizations."
As of the article's date, the Predators (with a record of 15-16-4) were sixth in the Central Division, just five points shy of a wild card spot in the Western Conference. Saban and his wife, Terry, are ready for the challenge of helping the team win their first Stanley Cup.
"To be honest, Mrs. Terry has never asked me who won a game," Saban confessed. "Last night I was looking at scores and she asked me who won the Predators game. So this runs deep in our house."
What do you think? Can Saban's winning formula translate to the ice? Will his influence help the Predators finally capture the Stanley Cup? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
