Katie Sowers

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Katie Sowers
refer to caption
Sowers in 2016
Kansas City Chiefs
Personal information
Born: (1986-08-07) August 7, 1986 (age 35)
Hesston, Kansas, U.S.
Career information
College:Central Missouri
Career history
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards

Katie Sowers (born August 7, 1986) is an American football coach in the National Football League. She was the first openly gay and first female coach in Super Bowl history. Sowers began her American football career playing in the Women's Football Alliance. She joined the NFL in 2016 as a coach for the Atlanta Falcons and then with the San Francisco 49ers, before joining the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.

Early life and education[]

Sowers was born on August 7, 1986 in Hesston, Kansas. She began playing American football at the age of eight.[1][2] Sowers attended Hesston College, Goshen College and the University of Central Missouri. Sowers graduated from Central Missouri with master's degree in kinesiology in 2012.[3][4]

Career[]

Football player[]

While a student 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]

Football coach[]

In 2016, Sowers joined the National Football League as a wide receivers coaching intern with the Atlanta Falcons.[9] In 2017, Sowers moved to the San Francisco 49ers as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. She became a seasonal intern before being converted to full-time offensive assistant.[10] In her first season, the 49ers won the NFC Championship, sending the team to Super Bowl LIV and allowing Sowers to become the first female and first openly gay coach in a Super Bowl.[11] Her contract with the 49ers expired after the 2020 season.[12]

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.[13] 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 for rejecting her.[14]

Sowers' twin sister, Liz, plays football as a wide receiver.[15]

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. ^ "BILL WALSH NFL DIVERSITY COACHING FELLOWSHIPATTRACTS RECORD 137 TRAINING CAMP PARTICIPANTS". nflcommunications.com. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  10. ^ Bamberger, Jackie (July 23, 2018). "Yes, a Gay Woman Works the NFL Sideline—but Katie Sowers Refuses to Be Sidelined". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-03-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Yang, Avery (22 January 2020). "49ers' Katie Sowers First Female, Openly gay offensive assistant in Super Bowl History". SI.com. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  12. ^ Wagoner, Nick (January 7, 2021). "Assistant coach Katie Sowers not returning to San Francisco 49ers next season". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Buzinski, Jim (22 August 2017). "San Francisco 49ers assistant Katie Sowers is first out LGBT coach in NFL". OutSports. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  14. ^ "Belated Apology for High-Profile Alumna | Inside Higher Ed". www.insidehighered.com.
  15. ^ Dempsey, Tom (20 September 2018). "Twin Kansas sisters chart own football path". KSHB. Retrieved 2 February 2020.

External links[]

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