NFL Coach Kevin Maxen Comes Out, Makes History

LGBTQ+ history in sports!

​Kevin Maxen, the assistant strength coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, has come out. With this announcement, Maxen makes history as the first male coach in a US professional league to come out as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Prior to joining the Jaguars, Maxen had already coached teams like the Baylor Bears and the Vanderbilt Commodores. When it comes to his personal life, Maxen started to question his sexuality in college while he was still actively playing football as an athlete and was the captain of his team.

In an interview with Outsports, Maxen talked about the pressures of coming out in the world of sports, but also feeling like he shouldn’t be hiding who he is. He also revealed that he reached out to out gay football star Carl Nassib before coming out. Maxen explained:

“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. 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 added, “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 has been with his partner, Nicholas Garcia, for two and a half years. Thankfully, he revealed that his friends reacted to his coming out with a friendly, “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”

Congratulations to Kevin Maxen for making LGBTQ+ history!

Scroll through to see pictures of Kevin Maxen (plus photos with his partner Nicholas Garcia), and make sure to follow him on Instagram at @kmax3824.