BENTONVILLE — Aaron Danenhauer is used to playing a double role when it comes to his younger brother, Marcus.
Aaron is 9 years older than Marcus and has always been more than just a brother. When they were younger, Aaron also served as a type of father figure when Marcus needed one.
Nothing has changed these days. Marcus Danenhauer (6-foot-4, 315 pounds) is Bentonville’s senior left tackle and the leader of the Tigers’ offensive line, which is coached by Aaron Danenhauer, who took over the spot after serving two years as Bentonville Gold’s offensive coordinator and assisting the Tigers linemen.
“I think it’s a pretty cool experience,” Aaron Danenhauer said. “It’s been a great year, and I’ve really enjoyed it.
“It’s almost like having the father as the coach and the son as the player because I’ve been like a father figure to him. And after a game, I’ll give him a hug and tell him great game — as a coach and as a brother.”
And if anyone thinks there is special benefit to being the coach’s younger brother, guess again.
“He’s a lot harder on me than he is the other linemen,” Marcus said. “But that is because he expects a lot out of me and I’m the only returning starter this year. He knows my abilities and knows how I’m capable of playing.”
Marcus Danenhauer spent the offseason undergoing a position change. After playing two season at right guard, he was moved to left tackle.
“We needed a left tackle, and (Aaron) told me I needed to step up and be the man,” Marcus said. “But he came in and helped me work on my fundamentals.
“I had to switch my stance a little bit because I’m more out on the edge being a tackle. It was hard at first, but you have to make those changes if you’re switching positions.”
And Aaron knew a little bit about changing positions on the offensive line. A center in high school, he played center, guard and tackle during his collegiate career at the University of Tulsa.
“There’s definitely a difference in playing tackle,” Aaron said. “There’s more space to play out there, and Marcus has the length to play in that space. He also has good feet for someone with his size and his power.
“So we worked hard on the fundamentals during the offseason in helping Marcus make the change. But being able to teach him things and seeing him be successful out on the field, that is more than I could ask for.”
Once the two step away from the Tiger Athletic Complex, the coach-player relation ends. The two Danenhauers are simply brothers and do what typical brothers do together.
“It’s just normal brother stuff,” Aaron said. “It’s joking around and a little goofiness. We mess with each other, and I probably mess with him more because he’s the younger brother.”
“He’ll come over to the house some, and I’ll hang out some at his house,” Marcus said. “We’ll talk about normal life stuff, and we’ll watch a little football on TV.”
The two went together as brothers to watch the Sept. 25 game between Alabama and Arkansas, where Marcus has already committed to playing next season. But before Marcus made his commitment, Aaron was right there to help out younger brother some more.
“I think my family and I did play a role in Marcus’ decision,” Aaron said. “I was open for him going anywhere he wanted to go. I was giving him insight about the college process.
“But around Christmas or some time in January, he was riding with me when I asked him where we wanted to play if he had just one choice. He said ‘probably Arkansas’ and I knew, in his mind, that was where he wanted to go.”
And having Marcus make that early commitment has made things much easier for Aaron — the coach.
“As a coach, it’s nice to know he’s not having to worry about deciding where to go to college,” he said. “I think it’s also helped Marcus on the field. Now all he has to do each week is worry about playing ball.”