Kevin Maxen just became the first male coach in men's pro sports to come out as gay. He said he doesn't want to have to 'lie' or 'feel fear' about his personal life anymore.

• Kevin Maxen just became the first-ever publicly out male coach in a major men's pro sport.
• He said he no longer wants to "lie" about his life or "feel fear" about how others might react.

Kevin Maxen, an associate strength coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, just publicly came out as gay, making him the first-ever male coach in American professional men's sports to do so.

"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."

He added that he no longer wants to live in fear of how others might perceive him or react to this news.

"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 said.

Maxen told Outsports that a recent uptick in support from his personal network encouraged him to make the move to come out publicly.

According to Outsports, Maxen has a boyfriend, Nick. They have been dating for two years.

"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 said.

There have been other NFL coaches to come out in years past, notably former San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers, Outsports reported.

Sowers became the first openly LGBTQ+ coach in NFL history when she joined the 49ers in 2017.

Prior to joining the league, she was a member of the 2013 US Women's National Football Team and played in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA) for eight years.