NFF National Scholar-Athletes
S - 3.60 GPA – Management Information Systems
Head Coach: Neal Brown | Athletics Director: Shane Lyons
Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr. Maria Kolar
Taking full advantage of the opportunities provided by college football, Sean Mahone has already earned two degrees from West Virginia, including an MBA. The Liberty Township, Ohio, native becomes the Mountaineers' seventh NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
After graduating magna cum laude with a degree in management information systems in 2020, Mahone earned his MBA with a 3.7 GPA in May 2021. A 2020 Second Team Academic All-American and two-time First Team Academic All-District honoree, he also boasts being a five-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 selection. He is a member of both the Big 12 Commissioner's and the WVU Garrett Ford Academic honor rolls.
This season, Mahone set a new school record by playing in his 54th career game. He ranks second on the Mountaineers with 77 total tackles and 51 solo stops. He also boasts four tackles for loss, a half-sack and two interceptions. He recorded a season-high 11 tackles in the season-opener against Maryland, and posted seven tackles and two tackles for loss in WVU's upset of then-No. 15 Virginia Tech. He also recorded 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss, at No. 3 Oklahoma and had 10 tackles, including seven solo stops, and an interception against Texas Tech. The 6-6 Mountaineers now await their bowl destination.
A 2020 Second Team All-Big 12 selection by Pro Football Focus, Mahone has served as a game captain multiple times during his career. His 192 career tackles are the second most among active WVU players. During the 2019 season, he led the Mountaineers with 80 tackles and ranked 10th in the Big 12 with 6.7 tackles per game. Mahone has guided WVU to three bowl games in four seasons, including a win in the 2020 AutoZone Liberty Bowl and berths in the 2017 Heart of Dallas Bowl and 2018 Camping World Bowl. In 2018, the Mountaineers finished the season with a No. 20 national ranking.
A WVU Team Accountability Leader, Mahone makes sure teammates are meeting with tutors, hitting their nutritional goals and participating in community service efforts. He has visited patients at WVU Children's Hospital, and he wrote notes and created encouraging videos for elementary students and senior home residents during the pandemic. Mahone served as a mentor through the "Big Brothers" initiative, and he has built and repaired homes and participated in clean-up efforts in the Morgantown area.
