49ers Assistant Coach Katie Sowers Parts Ways With Franchise After Four Seasons

Katie Sowers, the NFL's first openly gay coach and one of the league's first female assistant coaches, will not return to the 49ers next season, she confirmed to The Mercury News.

"I will sadly not be back," Sowers told the paper.

Sowers has spent the past four seasons with the franchise. Her contract was set to expire after this season.

Sowers spent time with the team as an offensive assistant and primarily worked with the team's wide receiver group. 

Last February, she became the first openly gay and first female coach to coach in Super Bowl history.

"She's been tremendous," quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo told reporters about Sowers after the team's NFC championship win over the Packers last January. "Katie was here before I was, but just what she does with the receivers, all the skill position guys, how she interacts with them. It's special. She's feisty, man. Katie is awesome out there. She'll get after guys. ... It's fun to be around."

Prior to joining the 49ers, Sowers was an intern with the Atlanta Falcons. She joined the team as part of the 2017 Bill Walsh NFL Coaching Diversity Fellowship class. 

Sowers, 34, played professional football as a quarterback and defensive back in the Women's Football Alliance. 

In an Instagram post earlier this week, Sowers captioned a photo of herself with, "I don't know what 2021 has in store ... but I promise you, it won't be boring."