San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers is in the spotlight this week. As her team prepares to head to Super Bowl LIV, Sowers is preparing to make history by becoming the first woman and openly gay coach.<\/p>\n
Sowers, 33, has been with the 49ers for two seasons and has been in the NFL for four, previously coaching the Atlanta Falcons. She had joined the 49ers in June 2017 as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship, when she worked with San Francisco\u2019s wide receivers.<\/p>\n
“Being the first, it is historic,” Sowers told NFL Network’s Steve Wyche on Monday during Super Bowl LIV Opening Night. “I mean, there always has to be a first to make change, but the most important thing that I continue to say is just to make sure I’m not the last.”<\/p>\n
The 49ers will be playing against the Kansas City Chiefs. Sowers grew up in the Kansas City area and grew up as a Chiefs fan. She’s not afraid to show her hometown pride despite her new job, though. She even has a tattoo of Kansas City on her arm.<\/p>\n
The 49ers CEO Jed York is proud of the work Sowers has done and talked about the history-breaking game with NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe.<\/p>\n
“And Katie, especially, she works so hard, and she’s been such a great part of our team. It’s inspirational to see that a young lady can come in and step up and be the first woman to stand on the field during the Super Bowl.”<\/p>\n
The head coach of the 49ers Kyle Shanahan saw the opportunity to bring Sowers on the team back in 2016 and jumped at the chance, having seen her talent and goals shine during her time with the Falcons.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiversity is so important to build with, whether it\u2019s an organization or a team,\u201d Sowers said. \u201cThe more diversity you have, the more power you have. You have more minds that are thinking about different things, bringing in different ideas. The more you can have a diverse set of people, the better your team is going to be. That\u2019s what we\u2019ve found in San Francisco, and it\u2019s been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being a woman in a sport full of men, Sowers was proud to say she felt welcomed and accepted for her talent as a coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe I\u2019ve been blessed, or maybe this league is just full of a lot of quality people because, truly, I work with professionals,\u201d Sowers said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter who you are, as long as they know you\u2019re there to get them better.\u201d<\/p>\n