Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength coach Kevin Maxen just came out as gay ... in what is believed to be a first for a male coach in major men's pro sports in the United States.
The Jags staffer made the announcement in an interview with Outsports on Thursday ... saying he's ready to live his truth without worrying about revealing his sexuality anymore.
"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 -- a former strength coach with Baylor and Vanderbilt football -- said.