Nick Saban set to become the first billionaire college football coach as $1.1B worth businessman continues to grow his empire

Nick Saban has accomplished almost everything there is to accomplish as a college football coach. The former Alabama Crimson Tide coach is now looking to leave his mark in the business world by becoming the first billionaire college football coach.

To do so, Saban, who is believed to have earned $151 million pre-tax, partnered with $1.1 billion-worth businessman Joe Agresti (per Forbes) in 2014. It was after the businessman met with the coach, who was considering getting into the automobile business himself.

According to a report by Forbes, after one meeting, they decided to partner and take a dealership in Birmingham that same year. They would grow their partnership slowly, with a second dealership in Nashville in 2017, then another one in Birmingham a year later.

The partnership founded the Dream Motor Group. It sells Mercedes-Benz (over 20,000 a year), as well as some Infinity and Ferrari models, across nine dealerships in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and Florida. Saban was convinced by the culture and customer service focus preached by Agresti.

While Agresti takes care of the day-to-day operations, Nick Saban keeps close contact with his partner. They talk every day to review all things business-related and make decisions.

A Bergen, New Jersey native, Agresti studied accounting at Rutgers. He worked on a CPA before landing a job at Asbury Automotive. An Asbury executive eventually gave him a chance to branch out by investing and running his own Mercedes-Benz dealership in Baton Rouge.

In just a few years, Joe Agresti quadrupled the Baton Rouge car lot sales and eventually bought out the rest of the dealership, and then was awarded the right to open another dealership in Houston.

In his coaching career, Nick Saban won seven college national titles, six with the Crimson Tide and one more while leading the LSU Tigers.

Could Nick Saban and Joe Agresti invest in a pro sports team?

Until now, the Nick Saban-Joe Agresti partnership has been limited to their car dealerships in the southern United States. However, there could be new ventures in the future.

Agresti told Forbes that he, Nick Saban and former Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Steve Cannon are also considering an investment in three or four Tennessee-based sports teams. While Agresti didn't mention which teams would be under consideration, it would be quite a jump from what they are doing now.

Tennessee has teams in three of the four major American sports leagues. The NFL's Tennessee Titans and NHL's Nashville Predators in the Music City and the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA. Nashville also has an MLS franchise.