NFL Coach Becomes the First Out Gay Male Coach In Men’s Professional Sports

Things just keep progressing faster and faster for the world of professional sports and Queer athletes. Last week Charles Barkley came out in support of Queer people everywhere in a curse-laden speech, and in the last year, numerous professional athletes have come out as members of the LGBTQ+ family. And now, we can add an NFL coach to the roster!

via GIPHY

Kevin Maxen, the Jacksonville Jaguars' Strength and Conditioning Assistant Coach, came out as gay this week, and the sports world has by and large embraced him with wide-receiving arms. In an interview with Outsports, Maxens opened up about his personal life, his relationship with his boyfriend, and his hopes for the future of the sports. "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." Maxen said. "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."

Jaguars’ assistant strength and conditioning coach Kevin Maxen has become the first male coach in major American men's professional sports to publicly come out as gay, telling @outsports he didn't want to hide who he is any longer and to inspire others.https://t.co/wfRyIa6afq

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2023

Shad Khan, the billionaire businessman who owns the Jaguars, said in a statement to ESPN that he fully supports Maxen and that he is a core member of the Jaguars team and family. "Kevin is a Jacksonville Jaguar through and through, and a key member of our football team and community," Khan said 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."

What's really terrific about this news is that not only is Kevin Maxen an out, gay coach in the NFL... but he's an out, gay coach in the NFL for a team in Florida. This means that pieces of sh*t DeSantis and Trump–as well as the entire homebase for the MAGA crowd–will have to support him and the Jaguars as they become one of the most important teams in the world of Queer sports. I guess they'll have to "say gay" after all!

It's worth noting that Maxen is the first male coach to come out as Queer in the NFL, but the first coach to do so. Women assistant coaches have come out previously, most famously Katie Sowers, who became the first out, gay coach in NFL history to coach a team during the Super Bowl. Curt Miller, head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, is also an out-coach.

via GIPHY

This is more good news in the world of LGBTQ+ athletes and our continued battle for equality. But imagine how important this will be to young Queer sports lovers everywhere who dream of coaching a team, but wonderful if there's a place for them. Well with news like this, the answer is becoming resoundingly clear: the world of sports is for everyone.

Fleshbot: Plug In Get Off.
Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.