Kevin Maxen, an associate strength coach for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, is coming out as gay and making history.

In doing so, he is the first publicly out gay male coach in the NFL, but he is also seemingly the first male coach to come out in men’s professional sports.

He opened up about why he was driven to speak about his sexuality in a recent interview.

Keep reading to find out more…

Speaking to Outsports, Kevin said that it felt like time to be honest about himself.

“I don’t want to feel like I have to think about it anymore,” he said. “I don’t want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing, or why I am living with someone else.”

Kevin continued, saying, “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.”

“Maybe sharing this will hopefully give someone else the strength to accept their own life and take control of their own story,” he said.

He noted that he had been with his boyfriend Nick for two years. “You have other coaches who have significant others, and they’re talking about their significant others,” he told the outlet. “And I felt guilty that I couldn’t do the same thing, that I was letting myself down.”

“As a Black Jew who has dated both men and women, who has been a strength coach at the highest level of professional football, I’ve learned that how I look, what I believe in, and especially who I am physically or emotionally attracted to should not impact the way I or other people view my worth,” he said. “And It should certainly not dictate what I feel I am capable of accomplishing.”

We’re so happy for Kevin and wish him and Nick well!

While Kevin is the first male coach in the NFL to come out, several former and one current player have come out as gay or bisexual.