In what is thought to be a first for a male coach in a major professional sports league in the United States, associate strength coach Kevin Maxen of the Jacksonville Jaguars came out as gay on Thursday.

Maxen, who joined the Jaguars in 2021, told Outsports that he decided to come out because he wanted to inspire people by being authentic.

Maxen said to Outsports, “I don’t want to feel like I have to think about it anymore.”

“I want to stop feeling like I have to hide who I live with and why I am seeing other people.”

“I want to speak out in favor of people living their lives as they see fit, but I also want to simply exist without feeling anything.”fear of the reactions of others.

Maxen has been involved in football for a number of years. Prior to serving as a strength coach at Baylor and Vanderbilt, he played for Division III Western Connecticut State University in college.

Although the strength coach acknowledged that he had struggled with his sexuality in college, he is optimistic that the Jaguars players will take the news well.

In an Outsports interview, Kevin Maxen came out.
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In an Outsports interview, Kevin Maxen came out as gay.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Maxen told Outsports that his football accomplishments should allay his skeptics.

“I have a pretty good sense of humor,” he said.

“There are a lot of guys I can joke around with and not get hurt.”

Maxen reported having a two-year relationship with his boyfriend.
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Maxen reported having a two-year relationship with his boyfriend.
Instagram/Kevin Maxen
Maxen claimed that his decision to want to come out was influenced by the team’s players and staff.

Maxen was inspired to be able to introduce his family when he observed other members of the organization doing so.

Maxen, who has been dating Nick for more than two years, said he struggled to reconcile his feelings of guilt about not being able to share that aspect of his life with him.

Before becoming a coach, Maxen played football in Division III.
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Maxen was a football player in Division III before working as a strength coach at Vanderbilt and Baylor.
Instagram/Kevin Maxen
In order to get advice on when and how to come out, Maxen contacted Carl Nassib, the first NFL player to come out the year before, in February 2022.

“I had such hate and anger for myself for a while, and I thought it was because I was afraid of what other people thought of me,” Maxen remarked.

But it wasn’t like that. Because I forced myself to live by other people’s rules rather than my own, it was a result of my own resentment and hatred of myself.

Maxen claimed that his decision to want to come out was influenced by the team’s players and staff.
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Maxen claimed that his decision to want to come out was influenced by the team’s players and staff.

And I had good reason to be upset with myself for believing that I had to live up to the standards ofanybody else.”

Marcus Pollard, Jacksonville’s director of player development, had nothing but praise for Maxen.

As a strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pollard told Outsports, “It is a privilege to work alongside Kevin who is hardworking, dedicated, and thriving in an environment that is diversifying.”

The Jaguars’ rookie class reports for training camp on Friday, while the rest of the team reports on Tuesday.

Jacksonville just finished a season in which it defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in a thrilling game to win the AFC South and advance to the wild-card round, where it was defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs.