Jacksonville Jaguars assistant strength and conditioning coach Kevin Maxen came out as gay, and he's believed to be a first among coaching ranks in the four major men's pro sports: football, basketball, baseball, and hockey.
Maxen came out in an interview with Outsports in a story that was published Thursday.
"I don't want to feel like I have to think about it anymore," Maxen told Outsports. "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."
Maxen follows Carl Nassib, a free agent defensive end, who came out in 2021 while with the Las Vegas Raiders. Nassib became the first openly gay active player in the NFL. Maxen reached out to Nassib in 2022.
"For a while, I had such an anger for myself and hatred that I thought was from a fear of what others might think about who I am," Maxen told Outsports. "But that wasn't it. It was an anger and hatred of myself because I put myself in a life where I was living by other people's rules and not by my own."
Jaguars owner Shad Khan praised Maxen in a statement to ESPN.
"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," Khan said.
Maxen told Outsports he's been in a committed relationship for two years.
Jaguars' training camp begins next week.
Maxen joined the Jaguars' coaching staff in 2021.
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