KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island softball coach Mike Coutts announced that Sarah Rainwater Jackson has joined the staff as an assistant coach for the 2025-26 season.

Rainwater Jackson comes to the Rams from Eastern Kentucky, where she was an assistant coach and director of softball operations for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In 2024, Eastern Kentucky won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season title. Last Spring, the Colonels won the ASUN Gold Division.

"We are grateful to add Sarah to our staff," Coutts said. "She will add a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge which will be beneficial to our players. Having a quality person like Sarah on our staff helps us in our quest to building a first-class softball program at URI."

While with Eastern Kentucky, Jackson coached outfielder Jeaney Riley, the 2024 ASUN Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. During her two seasons with the Colonels, the team was 80-26.

A former team captain for the University of Kentucky softball team, Jackson played in 178 games for the Wildcats from 2016-19. A starting outfielder, she helped Kentucky go 152-82 with four NCAA Championship bids, including three trips to the Super Regionals.

Jackson earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Kentucky. She completed a bachelor's degree in Integrated Strategic Communication with a minor in Coaching in May of 2019. She finished a master's degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in May of 2021.