NFL coach Kevin Maxen is proving, once and for all, that gay people belong on the gridiron
This profile is part of Queerty’s 2023 Out For Good series, recognizing public figures who’ve had the courage to come out and make a difference in the past year.Name: Kevin Maxen, 31Bio: Kevin Maxen, the first male NFL coach to publicly come out as gay, was born in suburban Connecticut.
Blessed with a bruising build, he played his college ball for Western Connecticut State University, a Division III program in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.Maxen shined as a linebacker, playing all 30 games for the team over three seasons, and recording 171 total tackles.
He earned first-team defense honors his senior season.A post shared by Kevin Maxen (@kmax3824)A post shared by Kevin Maxen (@kmax3824)A post shared by Kevin Maxen (@kmax3824)While Maxen’s football identity was secure, he began questioning other aspects of his life, namely his sexuality.
But he wasn’t sure whether he would be accepted on the gridiron as an out gay man. So, the three-season collegiate captain stayed in the closet as he started his coaching career.
