Jaguars' Kevin Maxen becomes first US-based major men's pro sports coach to come out as gay
Jacksonville Jaguars assistant strength and conditioning coach Kevin Maxen is the first male coach in major U.S. men's pro sports to publicly come out as gay.
Maxen shared his sexual orientation in an interview Thursday published by Outsports.com, stating that he wanted to come out publicly in an effort to no longer live his life in fear as well as to inspire others to do the same.
“I don’t want to feel like I have to think about it anymore,” Maxen said in the interview. “I don’t want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing, or why I am living with someone else.
“I want to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but I also want to just live and not feel fear about how people will react.”
Maxen joined the Jaguars prior to the 2021 season. He previously held the title of strength coach at both Baylor and Vanderbilt and worked as an intern at Iowa and Army.
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Maxen told Outsports that he has received plenty of support from former teammates, colleagues and people around the Jaguars and the NFL.
“It wasn’t until recently – and with the immense love and support of my family, my friends, colleagues and peers, and the courage and sacrifice from my partner – that I realized I have the right and responsibility to love and be loved, and that maybe sharing this will hopefully give someone else the strength to accept their own life and take control of their own story," Maxen said.
Among those that have shown support for Maxen includes Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who said in a statement to the Times-Union Thursday evening that he appreciated reading Maxen's story.
"Kevin is a Jacksonville Jaguar, through and through, and a key member of our football team and community," said Khan. "I look forward to seeing Kevin next week at training camp, and hope that he comes to work each day during camp and through the season feeling confident, free and at peace. I know our players and staff feel the same."
Khan has actively supported the rights of the LGBTQ community. In 2017, Khan drew praise for meeting with Jacksonville city council members to voice support for the city's human rights ordinance that gave protections for both sexual orientation and gender identity under the city's anti-discrimination laws. Previously, the law only protected individuals based on race, national origin, age, gender, disability, familial status and religion.
Though Maxen is the first male coach in U.S. pro men's sports to publicly come out as gay, other female assistant coaches, including San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers, have done the same.
A couple of current and former NFL players have done the same, including, most recently, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Carl Nassib.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Maxen is first male U.S. pro-sports coach to come out as gay
