The San Francisco 49ers could feature a female assistant coach in the upcoming season, as Katie Sowers is expected to be retained full-time following a summer internship.
This would be the second consecutive season that an NFL club includes a woman as a member of its coaching staff after Kathryn Smith served as the special teams quality control coach for the Buffalo Bills in 2016, according to NFL.com.
The NFL noted that Katie Sowers is expected to remain on the 49ers staff after successfully completing a summer internship during which she helped coach receivers for the team.
Sowers confirmed this on Saturday when she posted on Facebook: "I wanted to share with my friends and family that I have accepted a season long coaching position with the San Francisco 49ers."
The decision has been welcomed by those happy to see a woman take on the role of coaching assistant in a male-dominated industry. However, the topic of gender remains at the forefront.
In her post on Facebook, Sowers said, "It's important for all to know that dreams are achieved by first finding someone who sees your worth and value, regardless of your gender, and takes the necessary steps to clear a path, even on the path less traveled."
Commenting on her position, Sowers told The Mercuy News that, although it was ground-breaking to have a woman on the NFL coaching side, the more normalized her role became, the better.
"As a female, the more someone can ask me what I do and I say 'I coach football,' the less shock on their faces will mean the better direction we're moving."
Coaching as a woman in the NFL is not for the faint of heart, The Washington Post noted in an article about an incident last year when a Seahawks fan called out to Smith, "Hey waitress! Waitress! Waitress! Can I have a Pepsi, please? Waitress!" while she passed by at CenturyLink Stadium. The heckler was admonished by a woman standing next to him.