Katie Sowers

Katie Sowers (born August 7, 1986) is an American football assistant coach. She was an offensive assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-2021. Sowers began her American football career playing in the Women's Football Alliance. Upon her retirement, Sowers joined the National Football League in 2016 as a coach for the Atlanta Falcons training camp.

Katie Sowers
Sowers in 2016
Personal information
Born: (1986-08-07) August 7, 1986
Hesston, Kansas, U.S.
Career information
College:Central Missouri
Career history
As coach:
Career highlights and awards

Early life and education

On August 7, 1986, Sowers was born in Hesston, Kansas. She started playing American football at the age of eight.[1][2] For her post-secondary education, Sowers attended Hesston College and Goshen College in the 2000s before resuming her studies at the University of Central Missouri in the 2010s. At Central Missouri, Sowers graduated with master’s degree in kinesiology in 2012.[3][4]

Career

As player

While completing her studies at Goshen, Sowers began her football career playing for the West Michigan Mayhem and the Kansas City Titans in the Women's Football Alliance.[5] While with the Titans, Sowers was a member of the United States women's national American football team that won the 2013 IFAF Women's World Championship.[6][7] Sowers continued to play in the WFA until her 2016 retirement due to a hip injury.[8]

As coach

Sowers joined the National Football League as a wide receiver's intern with the Atlanta Falcons in summer 2016. After her summer position ended, Sowers remained with the Falcons as an intern scout until she moved to the San Francisco 49ers in June 2017 when she was hired in conjunction with the 'Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship' program which aims to assist in getting minorities into NFL coaching positions.[9] With the 49ers, Sowers resumed working as a seasonal offensive assistant until her promotion to offensive assistant in 2019.[4] In her first season as one of the 49ers offensive assistants, the 49ers won the NFC Championship sending the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV, allowing her to become the first female and first openly gay coach in a Super Bowl.[10]

Personal life

Before the start of the 2017 NFL season, Sowers came out publicly as a lesbian and became the first openly LGBT coach in the National Football League.[11] Sowers was refused a volunteer coaching position at Goshen College in 2009 because of her sexual orientation; in 2020 the president of the college apologized to her for rejecting her.[12]

She has a twin sister named Liz, who plays football as a wide receiver.[13][14]

References
  1. Killion, Ann (25 July 2018). "49ers coach Katie Sowers breaks new ground, fulfills her NFL dream". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  2. "From Kansas to the 49ers, Katie Sowers makes NFL history". USA Today. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. Heinzekehr, Hannah (21 August 2017). "Goshen, Hesston alum becomes second female NFL coach". The Mennonite. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  4. "Katie Sowers". San Francisco 49ers. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  5. "From Kansas to the 49ers, Katie Sowers makes NFL history". USA Today. 20 September 2018.
  6. "Team USA". International Federation of American Football. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  7. Halla-aho, Jaane (6 July 2013). "Home / wwc2013 / USA takes the gold medals! USA takes the gold medals!". International Federation of American Football. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  8. Bieler, Des (23 August 2017). "49ers' Katie Sowers becomes first openly LGBT coach in NFL". Washington Post. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  9. Barrows, Matt (14 June 2017). "Katie Sowers helping coach 49ers' wide receivers this summer". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  10. Yang, Avery (22 January 2020). "49ers' Katie Sowers First Female, Openly gay offensive assistant in Super Bowl History". SI.com. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  11. Buzinski, Jim (22 August 2017). "San Francisco 49ers assistant Katie Sowers is first out LGBT coach in NFL". OutSports. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  12. "Belated Apology for High-Profile Alumna | Inside Higher Ed". www.insidehighered.com.
  13. Barnes, Katie (23 August 2017). "5 things to know about 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers". ESPN. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  14. Dempsey, Tom (20 September 2018). "Twin Kansas sisters chart own football path". KSHB. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
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