The Jacksonville Jaguars’ assistant strength and conditioning coach, Kevin Maxen, has become the first male coach in American men’s professional sports to come out publicly as gay. In an interview, Maxen told Outsports that he made the decision because he didn’t want to hide himself any longer and wished to potentially inspire others.
“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,” he said.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who supported recent city legislation that expanded protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, praised Maxen, commenting that he hoped the coach felt “confident, free and at peace” through the season.
Maxen has been a coach for the Jaguars since 2021. He was previously a strength coach at Baylor and Vanderbilt.
He also told the outlet that he wanted to share more about his personal life after attending team events where his colleagues would talk about their families and significant others. Maxen has been in a relationship for more than two years.
A few female coaches have also come out, including Katie Sowers, a former assistant who worked for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2021, Las Vegas Raiders outside linebacker Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
