Katie Sowers, the first openly gay NFL coach, will be on the sidelines Saturday when the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers host the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC Divisional Playoff game.
Sowers, an offensive assistant for the 49ers, will also likely appear on screen during commercial breaks in ““Your Dream is Coming,” a new ad for the Microsoft Surface Pro 7.
“I’m not here to just be the token female. I’m here to help us win,” Sowers says in the ad, which doesn’t mention her sexual orientation. Sowers, who came out in 2017, is only the second female coach in the NFL.
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo lit up when asked about Sowers and the ad, which began airing last weekend, during a news conference Tuesday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“She’s been tremendous,” Garoppolo said. “Just what she does with the receivers and all of the skill-position guys, the way she interacts with them, it’s special.
“She’s feisty, man. Katie is awesome out there. She’ll get after guys, and it’s fun to be around.”
