Kevin Maxen, assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, has come out as the first openly gay male coach in the NFL.
Speaking to Outsports, Maxen, who joined the Jaguars last season, said he decided to come forward with his sexual identity to be public with his partner, Nick, whom he has been dating for two years.
“I don’t want to feel like I have to think about it anymore,” Maxen said. “I don’t want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing or why I am living with someone else.
A general view of a Jacksonville Jaguars helmet during the National Football League game between the New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 22, 2022, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I want to be vocal in support of people living in how they want to live, but I also just want to live and not feel fear about how people will react,” he added.
Maxen said his family and colleagues have largely been supportive.
“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.
Jacksonville’s director of player development, Marcus Pollard, told Outsports that working with Kevin has been a pleasure, describing him as “hardworking” and “dedicated.” Former Jaguars center Brandon Linder also hailed the coach for helping him before every game on Sunday.
“Kevin was a big part in helping me prepare every Sunday during my last year in the NFL,” Linder said. “He would write workouts for me with exercises that would help with my deficiencies, which helped me be the best version of myself on that field. Our friendship grew with the time spent working together and us sharing a lot of similarities on our views of life, being someone that just gets it.”
While Kevin is the first openly gay male coach in the NFL, he is not the first openly gay coach. That title goes to former San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers, who also made history by being the first woman coach to participate in the Super Bowl. In 2014, Michael Sam became the first openly gay football player drafted into the NFL when the St. Louis Rams accepted him before a brief run with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.