Jaguars’ Kevin Maxen Becomes First Openly Gay Male Coach in Major U.S. Pro Sports

• NFL

Kevin Maxen, the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, has become the first male coach in major American men's professional sports to publicly come out. His announcement, made to Outsports.com, was prompted by his desire to cease hiding his true identity, hoping to inspire others who might be grappling with similar situations.

"I Want to Just Live and Not Feel Fear"

Maxen spoke candidly about his decision in the interview published on Thursday afternoon. “I don't want to feel like I have to think about it anymore. I don't want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing or why I am living with someone else," he expressed.

He articulated his wish to champion the rights of people to live as they please, free from the fear of others' reactions. “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 asserted.

Shad Khan, the Jaguars' owner, expressed his support for Maxen in a statement issued to ESPN later on Thursday, revealing that he “appreciated reading Kevin's story."

Khan: "Kevin is a Jacksonville Jaguar through and through"

“Kevin is a Jacksonville Jaguar through and through, and a key member of our football team and community," Khan declared. "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." Maxen opened up about the disparity he felt within the coaching community, explaining how other coaches frequently share anecdotes about their significant others, while he had been unable to do so.

“And I felt guilty that I couldn't do the same thing, that I was letting myself down," he confessed. He ended on an optimistic note, voicing his hopes for the future. "I want the person I'm with to be able to share that with me."