Katie Sowers

Katie Sowers
refer to caption
Sowers in 2016
Personal information
Born: (1986-08-07) August 7, 1986 (age 38)
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, formerly in the National Football League (NFL). 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 (WFA). 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. Sowers currently works in the athletic department of Ottawa University.[1]

Early life and education

Sowers was born on August 7, 1986, in Hesston, Kansas, where she attended a Mennonite church with her family.[2] Her lazy eye was fixed during childhood.[3] She began playing American football at the age of eight.[4][5]

During 2004, Sower's basketball team was third in the 3A championship held by the KSHSAA.[6][7] That year, she was fifth in the 3A javelin event during the KSHSAA's Girls State Track and Field Championship.[8] Sowers began her post-secondary education at Hesston College.[9] She then transferred to Goshen College where she competed in javelin at the NAIA women's outdoor track and field championship held during 2008 and 2009.[10][11] While there, she also participated in basketball and soccer.[3][12] After completing her Bachelor of Arts from Goshen College, she attended the University of Central Missouri and studied kinesiology.[13] She earned her Masters of Science in 2013.

Career

Playing career

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.[14] 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.[15][16] Sowers continued to play in the WFA until her 2016 retirement due to a hip injury.[17]

Coaching career

In 2016, Sowers joined the National Football League as a wide receivers coaching intern with the Atlanta Falcons.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20] Her contract with the 49ers expired after the 2020 season.[21] She joined the coaching staff of the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the 2021 NFL season.[22] In October 2021, Sowers was appointed as the director of athletic strategic initiatives at Ottawa University, where she also coaches the women's flag football team.[23]

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.[24] Sowers was refused a volunteer coaching position at Goshen in 2009 because of her sexual orientation. In 2020 the president of the college apologized for rejecting her.[25]

Sowers' twin sister, Liz, played football as a wide receiver,[26] and now works with Sowers as the head coach of the Ottawa women's flag football team.[1]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Katie Sowers.
  1. ^ a b "Katie Sowers". OttawaBraves.com. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "Goshen College graduate to coach in Super Bowl". Anabaptist World. January 27, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Laflin, Bonnie-Jill (2024). In a League of Her Own: Celebrating Female Firsts in Sports. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 252. ISBN 9781538171523. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Killion, Ann (July 25, 2018). "49ers coach Katie Sowers breaks new ground, fulfills her NFL dream". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  5. ^ "From Kansas to the 49ers, Katie Sowers makes NFL history". USA Today. September 20, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  6. ^ Lutz, Jeffrey (March 14, 2004). "Hesston twins lead Swathers to third place". The Witchia Eagle. p. 14D.
  7. ^ "KSHSAA State Tournament All-Time Bests ** Girls - Teams**" (PDF). Kansas State High School Activities Association. March 22, 2021. p. 81. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  8. ^ "2004: Girls State Track and Field Championship". KSHSAA Gallery of Champions. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Heinzekehr, Hannah (August 21, 2017). "Goshen, Hesston alum becomes second female NFL coach". The Mennonite. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  10. ^ "NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships - 5/22/2008 to 5/24/2008". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  11. ^ "NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships - 5/21/2009 to 5/23/2009". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  12. ^ "Women's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). Goshen College. August 21, 2020. p. 9. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "Katie Sowers". San Francisco 49ers. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  14. ^ "From Kansas to the 49ers, Katie Sowers makes NFL history". USA Today. September 20, 2018.
  15. ^ "Team USA". International Federation of American Football. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  16. ^ Halla-aho, Jaane (July 6, 2013). "Home / wwc2013 / USA takes the gold medals! USA takes the gold medals!". International Federation of American Football. Archived from the original on November 17, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  17. ^ Bieler, Des (August 23, 2017). "49ers' Katie Sowers becomes first openly LGBT coach in NFL". Washington Post. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  18. ^ "BILL WALSH NFL DIVERSITY COACHING FELLOWSHIPATTRACTS RECORD 137 TRAINING CAMP PARTICIPANTS". nflcommunications.com. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  19. ^ Bamberger, Jackie (July 23, 2018). "Yes, a Gay Woman Works the NFL Sideline—but Katie Sowers Refuses to Be Sidelined". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  20. ^ Yang, Avery (January 22, 2020). "49ers' Katie Sowers First Female, Openly gay offensive assistant in Super Bowl History". SI.com. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  21. ^ Wagoner, Nick (January 7, 2021). "Assistant coach Katie Sowers not returning to San Francisco 49ers next season". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  22. ^ Dajani, Jordan (May 26, 2021). "Former 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers announces she will join Chiefs staff during camp". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  23. ^ Palmer, Tod (October 6, 2021). "Ottawa expands Katie Sowers' role within athletic department". KSHB. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  24. ^ Buzinski, Jim (August 22, 2017). "San Francisco 49ers assistant Katie Sowers is first out LGBT coach in NFL". OutSports. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  25. ^ "Belated Apology for High-Profile Alumna | Inside Higher Ed". www.insidehighered.com. January 24, 2020.
  26. ^ Dempsey, Tom (September 20, 2018). "Twin Kansas sisters chart own football path". KSHB. Retrieved February 2, 2020.