Arrowhead Report

Katie Sowers to Join Chiefs Through Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship Program

Former San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant coach Katie Sowers is joining the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff through the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship Program.

Tucker D. Franklin

Former San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant coach Katie Sowers was a part of the 49ers' coaching staff during their run to Super Bowl LIV. Now, she'll be moving to the sidelines of the Niners' Super Bowl opponent. 

Sowers, the first female and first openly gay coach in Super Bowl history, is joining the Kansas City Chiefs through the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship program, as she announced on her Instagram page.

Sowers and the 49ers parted ways following the 2020 season as her contract was set to expire. In San Francisco, Sowers spent most of her time as an offensive assistant with the wide receivers.

In her Instagram post, she said the Chiefs are "providing me another opportunity to grow my coaching experience while learning from the best in the game through the Bill Walsh Diversity fellowship."

Sowers, 34, was born in Hesston, Kansas and went to college well within the reach of Chiefs Kingdom at the University of Central Missouri.

In an interview with Outsports in 2017, Sowers talked about the adversity she had faced to get to a coaching position in the NFL.

“No matter what you do in life, one of the most important things is to be true to who you are,” Sowers told Outsports after she joined the 49ers in 2017. “There are so many people who identify as LGBT in the NFL, as in any business, that do not feel comfortable being public about their sexual orientation. The more we can create an environment that welcomes all types of people, no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, the more we can help ease the pain and burden that many carry every day."

Prior to coaching with San Francisco, Sowers was a training camp assistant for the Atlanta Falcons. When she entered the league, she became the second woman to ever coach in the NFL. She also previously played quarterback and defensive back in the Women's Football Alliance.

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Tucker D. Franklin
TUCKER D. FRANKLIN

Tucker D. Franklin is an alumnus of Northwest Missouri State University, majoring in sports media and graduating in 2019. Tucker was previously the sports editor for The Maryville Forum and is now the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals as well as the deputy editor for Arrowhead Report on SI.com and the host of the Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast. Follow Tucker on Twitter @tuckerdfranklin.

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