Jack Johnson first sparked the competitive fire within him, setting the foundation for his desire to win. Jason McEndoo saw his potential as a skinny kid from the Electric City and lured him to Montana State. A collection of standouts put him through the ringer as the young pup in a group of old dogs. The revolving door of offensive line coaches at MSU over the last five seasons has helped mold him into the unorthodox yet solid and sound anchor for the Bobcat offensive front.
Now Dylan Mahoney is trying his best to set an example that reverberates after his Bobcat career is finished.
Mahoney’s diverse toolbox has continued growing as he navigates his fourth position coach in five seasons. The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder makes up for his relative lack of mass with timing, a sharp football IQ and a mean streak he can initiate on command. During his first two years in the MSU program, he was the pupil behind stalwart mentor John Weidenaar, a pillar at left tackle who started a program-record 48 straight games on the blindside of the Bobcat offensive line. Mahoney’s third season, he played the role of sixth man on a unit that featured Weidenaar and three other seasoned seniors.
As Montana State prepares for Saturday’s homecoming confrontation against No. 18 Weber State, the fifth-year senior captain’s steady demeanor and benevolence will be crucial during what is sure to be an ardent battle.
“One of the reasons Dylan was selected as a captain is I see him as a compassionate leader,” MSU second-year head coach Jeff Choate said. “He’s not a guy who is going to get in somebody’s face and bark at them. He’s going to put his arm around them and say, ‘What’s going on man? How can I help you get this done?’
“I think that’s something that’s innate to Dylan and his personality and is really an important part of being a leader is having some empathy for others and be willing to serve. It’s not just about getting your job done for him. It’s about how he can help you get your job done, how can he help you get through a difficult time in your life. Dylan exemplifies those qualities.”
Back in the spring of 2012, Mahoney was a lanky 6-foot-6, 225-pounder coming off a rarity under Johnson, Great Falls C.M. Russell High School’s legendary head football coach. Mahoney’s junior season, the Rustlers went 5-6, one of just four losing seasons in Johnson’s peerless 41-year run.
Mahoney’s father, Duff Mahoney, coached offensive line under Johnson for a good portion of the wildly successful run that included 340 wins and 13 state championships. McEndoo, Montana State’s offensive line coach from 2003 until 2014, mined CMR for offensive line talent over the years, plucking future All-Big Sky Conference talents like Jeff Hansen form Duff’s stable.
McEndoo saw Mahoney’s long levers and a frame made to pack on weight. In the spring of his junior year, Mahoney committed to Montana State. McEndoo saw his potential and Mahoney felt Coach Mac was the man to cultivate his talent.
‘That was the main reason I came here was Coach Mac and the relationship we had,” Mahoney said earlier this week. “I know his knowledge and love of the game is elite and that’s why he is where he is now. I kind of thought he’d get a big shot but I was really hoping he’d be here for my whole career.”
That following fall, Johnson’s second-to-last at the helm and Mahoney’s last prep campaign, the Rustlers went 9-3, falling a game short of the Class AA title game. Playing for his father and, more importantly, in one of Montana’s most revered football programs embedded a foundation within Mahoney.
MSU tackle Dylan Mahoney (L) & former tackle John Weidenaar (R)
“One of the main things with Coach Johnson was just win,” Mahoney said. “Win at everything. Win in the classroom, win in the community, win on the field. There is no grey area. That was the standard there. Coach Johnson only wanted guys who came to CMR to win or they weren’t going to play. At all. It’s the same standard I found at Montana State.”
In the fall of 2013, Mahoney joined a Bobcat team that had done nothing but win within the ranks of the Big Sky the prior three seasons. The 2012 team ripped off 11 wins in 12 games before falling in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. That team’s 7-1 record in the Big Sky gave Montana State 21 league wins in its last 24 games and gave MSU its third straight conference crown.
That 2012 team thrived despite starting Weidenaar, Kyle Godecke and Matthew Devereux as redshirt freshmen along the offensive line. In 2013, Alex Eekhoff, a spot starter in 2012, also found his way into the mix. By 2015, the group had lofty expectations as Weidenaar returned as an All-American candidate who had never missed a start, Joel Horn entered his second year as an All-Big Sky center while Godecke and Eekhoff each had three years of starting experience entering their final seasons.
Godecke and Eekhoff both battled injuries the second half of their junior years and the entire off-season leading up to their senior years. Mahoney showed his football acumen by not only continuing his work as Weidenaar’s heir apparent but by also learning both guard spots and right tackle. While Godecke and Eekhoff would usually start on the right side of the line, Mahoney would come in the second series for Godecke, then the third for Eekhoff, hardly exiting the game thereafter. He also started for four games that year split between guard and tackle.
“Those seniors set a very good example for me,” Mahoney said. “I was kind of thrown in there with four seniors and junior (left guard J.P. Flynn) and said hey, you’ve got to keep up. Those guys were great leaders. They taught me how to watch film on my own, taught me how to prepare for a game. I’m trying to pass that on to these young guys.”
MSU tackle Dylan Mahoney & former coach Jason Eck
McEndoo’s departure for Oklahoma State before that 2015 season had ramifications throughout the offensive line and the team. Mahoney wondered what the future might hold without the man the offensive line revered and respected. Jason Eck took over before the season with varying results. Following Montana State’s disappointing 5-6 finish, longtime head coach Rob Ash and most of his staff, including Eck, were not retained.
Enter Choate and Brian Armstrong, MSU’s offensive line coach a year ago. Now Armstrong is the offensive coordinator and Josh Taufalele is working with the offensive line. McEndoo brought NFL credentials and an impassioned brand of coaching rare for the Big Sky. Eck brought a Big Ten background and a nomad’s mentality that helped him adapt. Armstrong is direct and detail oriented while Taufalele is demanding and passionate. The four teachers have helped Mahoney mold into the diverse lineman he encompasses now.
“I definitely take something from all four of them,” Mahoney said. “Coach (McEndoo) I had the longest you could say, for two years. A lot of my base fundamentals are from him. But every time a new o-line coach has come in, I’ve had an open mind. They suggest new things I should try, new techniques and I feel like I’ve been successful using all of them and being coachable.”
As Mahoney’s finale of his five-year journey nears its midpoint, the captain is the personification of the hundreds of players and dozens of coaches he’s encountered. His teammates see those values in the way he leads.
“He’s a really consistent guy,” MSU sophomore defensive end Derek Marks said. “He treats the guys so well. He loves guys really well. I love Mahoney and I love going against him each practice. He’s just a really solid leader. He knows where he’s going and he knows where he wants his team to go.”
“He’s one of those guys that isn’t going to say a whole bunch but when he does, you listen,” MSU sophomore right tackle Mitch Brott said. “He’s a humble person so every time he tells you something, you truly take it to heart. He knows the game better than most people I’ve ever met, a very intelligent player and we respect that.”
Mahoney’s acumen amongst MSU’s offensive linemen has continued growing as his football intellect has broadened.
“He’s been through so many coaches and he’s picked up so many things from every single coach that has coached him,” MSU junior tight end Wilson Brott, Wilson’s older brother, said. “He definitely has a full playbook of leadership traits he’s seen in other coaches. He sets the standard for everybody.”
Over the last two seasons, Marks has battled against Mahoney as much as any other player. The Belgrade product has endured a baptism by fire, getting thrown into MSU’s starting lineup as a true freshman last season. He battled with standout tackles from around the Big Sky like Northern Arizona’s Jacob Julian, Weber State’s Calvin Steyn, UC Davis’ Christian Schneider and Montana’s All-Big Sky duo of David Reese and Jackson Thiebes last fall.
This year, he held his own against All-Pac 12 tackle Cole Madison in MSU’s opener against Washington State. Mahoney has provided as much daily frustration as any of Marks’ opponents.
MSU tackle Dylan Mahoney and former defensive end Shilo LaBoy
“He’s really a technical guy,” Marks said. “He’s really a lighter tackle and it blows me away that you can’t run through a guy like that because he’s so light. But he’s just so good with his hands, his punch, his punch timing.
“You really don’t know when he’s going to punch so you will stab, expect a punch and then he locks you up. His technique is great and he plays the game within the game similar to what John Weidenaar did. He was really good at being patient and playing that game within the game.”
Last season, Mahoney missed four games in the middle of MSU’s conference push. Mitch Brott, at the time a freshman, had to switch to left tackle. Montana State’s offense, with as true freshman in Chris Murray at quarterback, struggled mightily. Mahoney’s return sparked a two-game winning streak to end the 4-7 season.
That injury taught Mahoney the importance of taking care of his body. It also made him realize his time at Montana State is running thin.
Mahoney is slated to graduate with a degree in geology in December. He will pursue a master’s at either Montana Tech in Butte or remain in Bozeman for graduate school. He will decide when MSU’s season ends. Mahoney has played in 22 games and will make his 16th start this Saturday as the Bobcats host Weber State. The captain hopes the finish line is more than the allotted eight weeks away that the schedule provides.
“I think my experience has been very unique,” Mahoney said. “I’ve had a lot of coaches, a head coaching change, four position coaches. I feel like I’ve taken so much from here because of all the different minds I’ve gotten to be around, listen to, build relationships with. I feel like you can’t get that very often. That’s a very rare thing. It’s something I will never forget.”
Brooks Nuanez contributed to the reporting of this story. Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
