A member of the San Francisco 49ers already is making Super Bowl history before either team takes the field.
Assistant coach Katie Sowers is the first woman ever to coach in a Super Bowl, less than three years after becoming the 49ers’ first female coach. She’s the first openly gay person to coach in the Super Bowl, as well.
Sowers made history when she joined the 49ers in 2017 via the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship as the first openly gay coach in NFL history. She began as a seasonal offensive assistant and was promoted to offensive assistant in 2019.
The 33-year-old believes allowing herself to show Kyle Shanahan her true self helped land her the job, lauding the Niners head coach for believing in diversity within the NFL.
“He was happy to help me, which I’m so grateful for,” she told NFL Media’s Steven Wyche on Monday. “I mean, he truly became a mentor, showed me the culture and really led me to where I am.”
Now, Sowers hopes she’s set the stage for a more diverse crowd in the NFL.
“Being the first, it is historic. There always has to be a first to make change,” she said. “But the most important thing I continue to say is to make sure I’m not the last.”
.@wyche89 talks to @49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers as she becomes the first woman to coach in a Super Bowl. 🙌 #GoNiners #SBLIV
📺: #SBOpeningNight on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/ZaPd0b6KAI
— NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2020
Truly inspiring.
