Jacksonville Jaguars‘ assistant strength coach, Kevin Maxwell, has made history by coming out as gay. He has now become the first active male coach in the US sports industry to do so. While there have been other athletes and female coaches from the industry who have come out in the past, this marks the first from the male coach’s perspective.

In a candid interview with Outsports on Thursday, he expressed his feelings openly and also revealed why he came to a decision to open up to the public. Furthermore, the assistant coach opened up about his 2-year-old relationship, which he kept hidden from public view.

Kevin Maxen reached out to an NFL athlete for assistance

Maxwell opened up a lot about his personal life in the interview and shared how it influenced him over the years. He expressed deep appreciation for his family, friends, colleagues, and peers who supported him throughout, leading to his announcement. He admitted that it took him a long time to gather the courage, but he wanted to take control of his life and be open about his significant other, just like his colleagues.

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Kevin introduced his partner, Nick, whom he’s been dating for over two years. He happily shared how accepting his friends were when he introduced Nick to them during a bachelor party. They even said, “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Maxwell reached out to gay NFL athlete, Carl Nassib, who helped him connect with the interview team.

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The assistant coach hopes for a positive response from his team’s players. Despite his reputation as a precise and dominant coach, he looked forward to their support.

Kevin’s peer made a wholesome comment following the announcement

Despite his personal frustrations about not being able to introduce his partner to the public, Kevin received only positive reactions from his peers. Jaguars’ Director of Player Development, Marcus Pollard, wholeheartedly applauded Kevin’s decision, saying, “It is a privilege to work alongside Kevin, who is a hardworking, dedicated, and thriving strength and conditioning coach.” Former Jaguars Center, Brandon Linder, also praised Kevin for his help during his time with the team and shared similar views with him.

It’s worth noting that female assistant coach Katie Sowers from the San Francisco 49ers and Curt Miller from WNBA have come out as gay in the past as well.

Since the announcement on Thursday, both the crowd and Kevin’s peers have shown nothing but positivity. It will be interesting to see how the athletes react in the future.

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