Katie Sowers’ pioneer tenure with the 49ers ends after four seasons, she told this news agency on Thursday morning.
Sowers was the first technical assistant in the franchise and the first openly gay trainer in the NFL.
“Unfortunately I won’t be back,” Sowers confirmed in a text message, without further comment.
Sowers’ contact has expired and she will now explore other opportunities for a chance to expand her role. As an offensive assistant, Sowers generally worked with 49ers’ wide receivers under the guidance of position coach Wes Welker.
The 49ers made no comment, as has been their protocol regarding the departure of Kyle Shanahan’s assistants since 2017.
Sowers, 34, initially joined the 49ers as a 2017 summer intern at Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship. As soon as the internship ended, after the 49ers were shown in her hometown, Kansas, she was hired as a full-time coach.
“I’m going to miss you SF. Let’s see what 2021 has in store for us, ”Sowers captioned a photo of the Levi’s Stadium facade in an Instagram story on Wednesday night.
The seeders arrived at the 49ers after interning at the Atlanta Falcons 2016. She followed the NFL tracks from Jen Welter (Arizona Cardinals intern) and Kathryn Smith (Buffalo Bills special-team assistant).
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Sowers wrote: “I think it’s important to understand that the path you should take is most of the time … the path you least expected … but that’s the beauty of yours story and YOU will always control the narrative. ”
Sowers became the first woman to train in a Super Bowl last season. She participated in forums and advocated for equality, and received several honors in recent years, including being named Outsports 2020 Person of the Year last week.
“This has been a year full of ups and downs,” Sowers told Outsports.com. “Since my trip to the Super Bowl, the pandemic and the loss of my father – this award has been a reminder that we all have the ability to make a difference, regardless of the circumstances and I am honored to know that I am on a list of these incredible ‘agents of change’. ”
Coach Kyle Shanahan’s team is expected to undergo further changes, especially if defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is hired as coach by one of the five teams chasing him.