The 49ers' surprising season that took them all the way to Super Bowl LIV was a dream for offensive analyst Katie Sowers. She became the first woman and first openly gay coach ever to be in the Super Bowl.

But then the season ended in disappointment as the 49ers blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter on Sunday and fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-20. Hours after the loss, Sowers made sure to thank The Faithful.

Thank you, Faithful. This season didn’t end as we would have liked but we will keep moving forward . #FallForward #49ers pic.twitter.com/2iV8TPDH9U — Katie Sowers (@KatieSowers) February 3, 2020

She also went to Twitter early the next morning to congratulate the Chiefs, but also to send a message to those criticizing 49ers players and coaches.

I wanted this so bad for my guys... for my dad. Congrats to the @Chiefs ... please as you comment to my players or staff members, remember we are all human. As @TheEllenShow says, Be Kind. This loss has unfortunately reminded me of the hatred in this world — Katie Sowers (@KatieSowers) February 3, 2020

Sowers, 33, was on an internship with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 when Kyle Shanahan was the team's offensive coordinator. Shanahan brought her onto his staff when he took the 49ers' head-coaching job in 2017. His belief in Sowers has led to her making history.

"I think I allowed him to see who I am, what my dreams were, what my goals were and he truly believed in diversity within the NFL and he was happy to help me, which I am so grateful for," Sowers said days prior to the Super Bowl. "He truly became a mentor, taught me the culture and really led me to where I am."

Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman knows Sowers is a walking piece of history. He also believes the 49ers employing her shows the organization has the right mindset.

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"I think it's something that I notice and I care about but I don't try to over acknowledge it because it should be that way," Sherman said Monday during Super Bowl Week. "So if you treat it like a norm then you can't try to treat it any different because it should be how it is everywhere. It should be about who does the job the best. Not if you're a man, a woman; if you're black, white, orange, pink yellow. Whatever it is.

"It's about who can do the job the best and that's what I think I appreciate about the 49ers' organization is all they care about is who can do the job at the highest level, effectively and they don't care about the race or gender or any of the rest of it."

Sowers trusts in her players, and the same goes for their trust in her. After a heartbreaking end to a special season, Sowers and the 49ers will aim for another Super Bowl run in 2020.