Former All-American pitcher Abbie Sims has joined Kansas University’s softball coaching staff, head coach Megan Smith announced Monday.

Sims spent the past five years as pitching coach at Houston. Houston finished the 2011 season nationally ranked and one win shy of a Women’s College World Series berth using a 1.35 team earned-run average — the best in the nation.

Sims replaces former assistant coach D.J. Mathis, who spent the last two seasons coaching the Jayhawk pitchers before taking a head-coaching position at St. Gregory’s, an NAIA school in Shawnee, Okla., following the 2012 season.