Nebraska woman’s flag football associate head coach Katie Sowers made history in the NFL. Now, she’s looking to be a trailblazer at the college level as well with the Huskers.
The Huskers announced the addition of woman’s flag football in January, becoming the first Power Four school to do so. They hired Sowers as associate head coach on Feb. 26.
“I think so often we say, ‘This game is for women,’ but only when led by men,” Sowers told Hail Varsity. “The reality is women can lead this game at a very, very high level, so it’s so important for me to continue to do the work that I’m doing to prove that no offense to men, but we don’t need men to play this game well.”
Sowers is a prime example of playing sports and coaching well. She played basketball and soccer and ran track in college. She then went on to coach in the NFL.
She was coaching fifth grade basketball and playing tackle football when she saw current Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon coaching in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. This sparked an idea.
“I remember thinking ‘Why couldn’t I coach football?’” Sowers reflected. “Why couldn’t I make a living out of coaching the sport that I love?”
She did just that. After posting “NFL I’m coming for you” on Instagram, she got her opportunity. Sowers spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Kanas City Chiefs. She became the first female coach on a Super Bowl team serving as an assistant coach for the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.
Sowers then went on to serve as associate head coach and defensive coordinator for Ottawa University. She coached alongside her twin sister, Liz Sowers, winning five national championships with the Gee-Gees.
She said she learned a lot while coaching at Ottawa.
“So many of these kids coming out of high school are looking for a family,” Katie said. “that’s one of the biggest things they’re looking for in a team. So to create that family atmosphere, to make sure that we have players that are healthy mentally, physically, emotionally, when those things come together and you have teams that each player wants to play for the person next to them, that’s when championships are won.”
Katie will look to bring titles to the Huskers when games begin next year.
“I think I’ve been waiting for this opportunity since the day I started in flag football,” Katie said of joining Nebraska.
Her football journey started at a young age. She grew up playing in the back yard with Liz never imagining they’d one day coach football together.
“I think life has a funny way of coming back to that first love sometimes,” Katie said. “I had that opportunity to really come back to that love of that sport that was so true to me when I was little. So it really is a dream come true not only getting to play football with my sister when we were younger, but also now to coach.”
Liz will serve as head coach for Nebraska, with Katie as her associate head coach. The latter said it means a lot to represent women in sports.
“Now, women know that they can get into football, whether it be coaching, whether it would be scouting, marketing. There are so many jobs in sports, and you don’t have to be limited just because of your gender.”
Since arriving in Lincoln, the Sowers sisters have begun building their roster. The team currently consists of 16 players, with 11 transfers and five freshmen from across the country. This includes freshman quarterback Ariana Akey, freshman defensive back/wide receiver Jaylani Palmer and junior wide receiver/defensive back London Jenkins to name a few.
“I’m so excited for the fan base to meet these players, to see what their about, to see their energy,” Katie said.
Nebraska fans and the athletic department have already begun to get behind the Sowers sisters and their team. Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule and Sowers have had conversations about the Huskers football team to help Sowers learn more about Nebraska’s rich history.
“To see the support from (athletic director) Troy (Dannen) and from the leadership around this university, it’s not surprising, but at the same time, you don’t find that often,” Katie said. “You haven’t found that yet, and I’m hoping that a lot of other schools will see this and see the impact that it’s making on people’s lives and the community, and they’ll join in.”
As for younger girls watching or dreaming of playing football, Sowers wants them to understand the importance of being confident and believing in all possibilities.
“As cheesy as that sounds, if you don’t believe it, there’s no one else that’s going to believe it for you,” Sowers said. “If you don’t tell your story, and you don’t tell your dreams, someone else will tell your story for you. So have ownership in what you do and believe that you can do it.”
Nebraska was originally set to begin playing games in 2028, but with the age-based eligibility model passing, the Huskers will start competing in January of 2027. Sowers said she’s excited to see what the team can do.
“These players have deserved it for so long,” Sowers said. “There doing something that’s outside the norm, and there making it normal. One day we’ll look back and we’ll think of flag football just like we think of volleyball, like we think of basketball, like we think of soccer. It’s just another sport that these players excel in, and I can’t wait for that day.”
Nebraska will begin practice this week with hopes of competing in tournaments in January before the season begins in February.